Two Sides to Everything
by Keeroshu
Summary: Colle's life could have been better. When little brother is shot, she runs away trying to save him. With the help of an ancient artifact they are thrown into Jak's world. Is it real or just a game? JakxOC TornxOC R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Prelude

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**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

I am so sorry for the mess up. I checked everything yesterday and I still don't know how I missed this. Sorry again.

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**Chapter 1: Prelude-**

"So, what do you want now?" Jak walked in from outside. A horrible storm had raged across the city. It seemed to come as if on a whim. The weather had been just beautiful seconds before the clouds rolled in and the rain started. And that had been nearly a week ago. It was currently coming down in sheets. Jak was soaked and not all that happy about it either.

"There's been another disappearance. This time it was in the Bazaar. The victim was 26 and goes by the name Chors-." Torn looked up to see Jak with his usual gruff expression. Torn was about to continue on when Jak cut in.

"You dragged me all the way down here just to tell me about another disappearance? I'm a fighter not a detective." Jak took his seat next to Torn at the bar of the Naught Ottsel.

"It was one of ours, Jak." Torn looked sternly at Jak. Jak may have been the true leader of Haven City, but right now he was only a soldier in Torn's army. And he was one of the best. "I've had my men looking for him all week. They haven't found anything."

"What does this have to do with me, Torn?" Jak didn't like were this was going. Another mission that was of no use to him; one where he would go looking around in the dirt only to have the missing person turn up a month later.

"Nothing what so ever."

"Then why in the heck did you bring me all the way down here?" Jak had found himself a place located in the New Haven area of the city. He hadn't left it since the major storm had arrived.

"You are one of my top soldiers. I want you to train a new recruit." Torn looked over a few papers he had laying next to him. He then pulled out something and looking slightly satisfied handed it to Jak.

"You have got to be kidding." Jak took the papers. One was an information sheet giving the name, age and anything else that seemed relevant.

The other paper was actually a photo. This new recruit was a woman.

"You know I don't kid. I want you to start her training tomorrow morning, first thing. Keep a report on how well things are going. You are free to train her however you see fit."

"Why are you giving this to me?" Jak still didn't understand any of this.

"Just think of it as allowing you to understand the people you will one day take into your hands." Torn then walked out into the raging storm and didn't look to see if Jak accepted the mission. It didn't matter. He always did the missions no matter the cost. This one wouldn't be any different.

A roll of thunder pounded across the sky as Jak sat at the bar waiting for the day to get worse. It never failed.

"I can't believe this." Jak read the papers for the new recruit.

"Jak?" Daxter walked through his Ottsel size door.

"Hey, Dax." Jak finished reading the papers and looked down at his best friend. "I though you'd be asleep."

"Well, I was. Until someone started yelling in 'my' bar." Daxter jumped up onto the bar stool so he could talk with Jak.

"Sorry about that." Jak stood up and began to walk out the door. "I'll see ya, Dax."

"Where ya going?" Daxter began to follow him to the door.

"Home. I'm tired." Jak waited for the doors to slide open.

"You're not going out there. You can stay here for the night and go home in the morning. There's a room upstairs."

"Thanks, buddy." Jak walked towards the door leading upstairs.

"If you need anything-", Daxter let out a big yawn, "-you can get it yourself. I'll be asleep."

"Good night to you too, Dax." Jak walked up the stairs and into the bedroom. It wasn't as nice as his place but it would do.

Jak pulled down the sheets and got into bed. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. Though it was a little unsettling. Something about it wasn't right. When he woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember why he had such a terrible night.

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	2. Chapter 2: Reality

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

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**Chapter 2: Reality**

"Zack!" Colle yelled up the stairs. She was getting ready to make dinner. Colle had just gotten back from work ten minutes ago and was exhausted, but she still had things she needed to do (homework, clean the house, cook dinner, and pay some bills). It was a lot of work for an eighteen year old to do.

"What? Is it time to eat?" Zack started to come down stairs. Zack was Colle's little brother, he was only seven.

"Not yet. I was wondering if you could clean a little while I cook and do some homework?" She didn't have to ask, he would have done it anyway, she just wanted to talk to him.

"Okay, but only if we play a game when your done." Zack may have been young, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell when something was bothering Colle. He knew what it was too. Zack knew how to make her forget about 'him'.

"Thanks, little bro. We can eat in about fifteen minutes." Colle returned to the kitchen when Zack went back upstairs.

Colle didn't feel much like cooking a real meal so she rummaged through the freezer to see what was left. 'Looks like I need to go shopping tomorrow. I'm glad it's Friday.' she said to herself when not finding much. She looked in the bottom drawer only to find her favorite food: lasagna. "Perfect."

Colle stuck the tray in the microwave for ten minutes. While that cooked, she opened her book bag and took out some books and paper. She still had some homework she needed to finish. She pulled back her semi-long brown hair and got to work.

As much as she loved her little brother, she wished she could have some time to herself so she could relax. She had been doing this parenting thing for almost a year now. Ever since their parents had died.

Colle worked on her math until the microwave buzzer went off. She fixed a plate for herself and Zack then headed upstairs.

"Time to eat, Zack." She said entering his room.

"Good. I've got the game ready, too." Zack took his plate and sat on the floor. He handed the game controller to Colle. He loved watching her kick metal head butt and the game was almost complete.

Colle turned on the PS2 console and sat next to Zack on the floor. While the game loaded she began to go over the days events.

Jeremy had come over again around 2:30 that afternoon. He had come with some complaints and 'helpful' suggestions about...Zack. He wanted her to 'get rid of the little brat' and give him to an orphanage or something. Like any other time Colle disagreed with him or 'disobeyed', she would always come out a little worse for wear. This time was different though, this time she hit him back. He didn't take it well.

Colle thought in some weird way, she owed Jeremy a small fraction, more like microscopic, of gratitude. If it wasn't for him, she would never have beaten the previous two Jak games. She also would have never spent this much time playing them with her little brother. She would be in a corner somewhere if it wasn't for Zack. He got her hooked on the games. She had never liked playing games before.

Every time she had a fight with Jeremy, killing a few metal heads would help her relieve her stress. If it wasn't for Zack she would have left a long time ago.

Jeremy had threatened to kill Zack if she even thought about leaving him. The kid had told on him too many times already. Colle knew that Jeremy was very capable of carrying out his threat.

"You're dieing, Colle." Zack poked her until she came back to reality.

"Wha-? Oh, crap!" Jak was getting kicked around like a soccer ball by the Dark Maker Ship's legs. When Colle took control again, she was able to destroyfour of the robot's legs. There were onlytwo left. After fifteen minutes of chasing, Colle destroyed the remaining legs. Now it was Errol's turn.

Colle, controlling Jak, climbed the ship's outer wall and up to challenge Errol.

"Watch out for his lasers. You have to beat him like that giant precursor robot frombefore." Zack had the strategy guide for the game in his hands. If Colle was having trouble, he would look it up. He never let her look. If she looked, she would spoil the ending and not want to play anymore, like in the first game. Zack made her finish it though or she wouldn't get the second game.

Colle was on a roll now. She jumped from pillar to pillar to get a decent shot at Cyber-Errol. She continued for another ten minutes until her last shot killed the robotic enemy.

"That's it! We beat it!" Colle jumped up in the air. "It's about time!" She grabbed her little brother. "How long do you think it took us?"

"Almost a year. Since you only play at night." He was happy too. "Hay, it's the final cinema scene."

The two of them sat down and became quiet. They watched all of it, even the credits. When the game was complete it was 12:30 in the morning.

"That was a great game. I hope they come out with the next one soon."

"I guess it's time for bed then, little bro."

"But I'm not tired. Can I stay up, pleeease?" He gave her his pouty lip and puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, alright. How about I go fix us some hot choc-." Colle stopped dead.

Standing in the doorway was a very drunk, very angry Jeremy. "So...did you...think I wouldn't...remember what...you did?" Jeremy pulled out a hand gun from his coat pocket.

Colle tried to move in front of Zack. 'He's gone insane! Does he think he can do whatever he wants!' Colle was scared to death. She knew she was going to be killed but that didn't scare half as much as the fact that after he shot her, he would go for Zack.

"It's all because of this little brat, isn't it?" Jeremy stuck Colle away from the boy and pulled the trigger.

A loud shot sounded throughout the house. Colle jumped up and at Jeremy. "Stop it! Stop it! He's just a kid!" She hit Jeremy away from her. She saw Zack laying on the floor. Blood covering the carpet. "Zack!" Tears started to come from her eyes.

Jeremy stood up ready to shoot again, this time at Colle. "You think you can get away with that!"

Colle didn't care what happened now. She just wanted to save her brother. She punched her boyfriend right in the nose and into the desk and mirror knocking him out cold.

She went to her brother. He was still alive. She had to get him out of here before Jeremy woke up. Because when he did nothing could get in his way.

Colle ran out the door and down the street carrying Zack hoping he would be okay. People were out walking since it was a city, but she didn't stop. She wanted to put as much distance between her and her house as possible.

She turned down a side street hoping it would lead to the next street. A heavy rain began to fall and thunder rolled across the sky.

Taking another turn, Colle ran into one of Jeremy's friends. They were all the same. They treated everyone the same: like they were lower than dirt.

Colle ran back the way she had come with that guy right behind her. He apparently knew what was going on. He followed her to the ally only to find that she had disappeared.

Colle heard footsteps run past her. She had jumped into an open dumpster when she ran into the ally. When she was sure no one was there, Colle poked her head out from under the garbage.

She dragged Zack's head up to the surface. She needed to get him some help. She noticed he was still holding the game guide for Jak 3. "Zack." She wantedhim to say something, anything. He was all she had left. There would be nothing left in this world for her without him. He had to live. He was going to.

Then below her, Colle saw something begin to glow. The garbage began to shift until a golden round glowing egg floated into the air. Colle thought she was hallucinating because of all the chaos going on. She reached out to touch it, then wished she hadn't. The glowing egg disappeared into the rainy night. The ground began to rush up toward Colle and Zack. Colle held Zack as close to her as was possible.

A brilliant, white, blinding light filled Colle's vision. It hurt her eyes so that she had to close them, but even then the light was still able to get through.

'What's happening!' Colle tightened her hold on her little brother. It was hard to breath. Colle thought they were going to die of suffocation. Colle began to feel light headed until the darkness of unconsciousness claimed her.

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	3. Chapter 3: Our New Reality

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

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**Chapter 3: Our New Reality**

A warmth was covering her face when she finally regained consciousness. The ground was soft and cool beneath her. Colle opened her eyes to be greeted by the sun.

"That hurts." She closed her eyes again only to remember Zack. She was up andwas on her feet so fast that she stumbled twice before catching herself. 'Where is he?'

All around her were trees and sand. Colle began to run, looking around everything.

"There he is." Relieved to find him with her. Zack was propped up against a large rock near a small pool of water. She ran over to him. She felt for a pulse hoping he was still alive. There was a faint but noticeable one."Thank goodness."

Knowing that her brother was okay for the time being, Colle walked around to look at her surroundings. They were at what appeared to be a desertoasis. But how did they get there? They don't live anywhere near the beach or a desert for that matter.

Then thinking of her brother, she remembered last night.

Jeremy shot Zack...she hit Jeremy...then she ran...

"Zack!" Colle releaized now why she had been so worried about him. She ran back to where she left him. Turning him gently, she searched for where the bullet had hit him.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Came a whisper to Colle's ears.

Surprised, she almost dropped him. "Zack?" She asked cautiously.

"Colle, what happened?" Zack tried to sit up but cried and grabbed his shoulder.

"Zack! I need to look at your arm." Colle was worried that if he didn't get help the wound would get infected and he would get sick. "Zack, let me see, please."

He removed his arm and looked at his hand. it was covered in blood. Seeing this he began to cry. Even so, he allowed his sister to look at his arm.

The bullet had gone through his shoulder and gone out the other side. Jeremy had tried to shoot him in the heart. The only reason he had missed was because he had been drunk. Colle started to cry the more she looked at her little brother. She didn't know what to do. She knew she needed to get him some help, but she didn't know where she was supposed to go. They were out in the middle of no where. There was nothing but sand or rock where ever Colle looked.

Zack sat crying for another hour. Colle sat next to him thinking of what to do. Her arm was around his shoulders careful of his injury, giving him a half hug. Before, she had tried to reasure him, but it was hard when she didn't believe half of the words herself.

Over that hour the wind had started to pick up. At first it was a gentel breeze but know it was strong enought to carry the sand along with it.

"This is bad." Zack spoke up ubruptly starteling Colle who thought he had fallen asleep.

"What's wrong?" Thinking maybe his arm was hurting even more than it did before.

"It's a sandstorm." He said looking out into the desert.

"How do you know that?" Know that she noticed the winds had gotten stronger since that morning. "Never mind." Colle was beginning to panic once again. They had no shellter from the harsh winds of the desert. "We have to go. Maybe we can find a cave of something." Colle got to her feet and was about to lift Zack up onto her back when he refused.

"What's wrong? We have to leave."

"We won't find anything. Atleast not in time. We're too far. There might be someone out here though."Zack picked up the Jak 3 game strategy that he had held onto since the day before.

"You know where we are?" Colle looked at him in disbelief.

"Yeah." He flinched as he got up. "We're in the Wastelands."

"You're joking right? That's only a game. It's not real." She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. 'Maybe he's been out here too long.'

"Look at your ears." He said flatly.

Colle touched her ears, her eyes widened. They weren't her normal ears. Then she looked down at her little brother. How could she have missed that! "Oh my-" She ran over to the water's edge. "This can't be happening. This has to be a dream. How could this be happening. I have to get out of here. This CAN'T BE REAL!"

"Snap out of it! If we don't find some place soon, we'll die in a matter of seconds once that storm hits!" With his good arm he slapped her across the face with his book. "We have to go! NOW!"

Apparently the slap had some effect. Colle stood up again and turned to face her brother. Her cheek starting to reden.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Even if this is all a dream, the logical thing would be to find a place to wait it out." Colle got down on her knees. "Come on, lets go."

With Zack on her back, the two began their treck through the desert.

"Which way do you think we need to go?" Colle looked over her shoulder. Zack had the guide open and was looking through the pages for a map. When he found one, he answered her.

"Go around this mountain. When you get passed it you will be close to a mountain tunnel. We can wait for the storm to pass over in there." He closed the guide and layed his head on Colle's back. "I hope we get there soon, too. I'm kind of tired."

"I don't want you going to sleep until we get to that tunnel. Okay? I want you to stay awake." If he feel asleep, he might not wake up. He had already lost a lot of blood.

"I'll try." He yawned.

"Good, boy."

Everything remained quiet until they reached a small stream. The wind had gathered speed and was bitting Colle's face. Zack was able to protect his face with some of Colle's hair, but he was wearing shorts. His legs were getting scrapped up by the sand.

Behind a large sand dune shots could be heard going off.

"Zack! We're in trouble!" She had to yell for him to hear her over the rushing wind. "We forgot about the Marauders!" Just as she spoke the words, they flew over the top of the dune.

Colle began to run back towards to oasis and the cover of the trees. Unfortunatly, the Marauders were coming from behind as well.

"This isn't a dream, it's a nightmare!." Tears streemed down the girls face. 'Why is all of this happening?'

"Don't worry, sis! Jak lives in Spargus remember? He'll save us!" Zack was scared too. He tried to hide himself while on Colle's back, but nothing mattered. If something didn't happen soon, they were going to be killed or torn to pieces by the storm.

"I don't think he's coming! That's a game remember? He's not real!" But Colle wanted him to be real. She wanted to get out of here. She wanted to go home with her brother. Atleast she would be safe. She could out run Jeremy, but she couldn't out run these things. They were on wheels.

The Marauders were drawing closer. There was no escaping. They started to open fire.

"This is it! Jak where are you!" Zack screamed as loud as he could. He truely believed they would be rescued.

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	4. Chapter 4: Heroes

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

I've been typing all day. I would stop but then I'd be board. Ithink this is the most I've typed on a single story in one day. I've typed most of the prelude and chapters 1, 2, and 3 in one day. I think this story is finally starting to get interesting. Though it's noyhing like what I had first wanted to write. Hope you enjoy and please read and review.

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**Chapter 4: Heroes**

There was an annoying buzzing going off somewhere. It was close by. It had to stop. Along with that the light from the sun was too bright. Hasn't anyone heard of curtains!

Jak jumped out of bed. "Sunlight! It was just pouring down only a few hours ago." Jak looked out the window into the morning sky. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Weird. Now for that buzzing." Jak looked around his room to see what the noise could be. His eyes landed on the bed-side table. His communicator was going off. Jak grabbed it and turned it on.

"Hello? Jak? You there?" It was Sig.

"Yeah, Sig. I'm here. What is it?" Jak didn't mind him calling but he sort of wished he could have waited a few more hours.

"I need you to go out into the Wasteland. There's a storm rolling in fast and I've just recieved word of a Marauder group on the move. They're after something. I want you to find out what that something is. Just do it before the storm hits or it'll be too late." With that, the comm. shut off.

"Once, just once, I'd like to have a day where I could relax." Jak said as he walked down the stairs.

"Talkin' to yourself again, bubby boy? You know that's a sign of something, I just can't remember what." Daxter was at the bar getting something to drink. "And you know what else, there's nothing quite like a cold one first thing in the morning."

"Those things are gonna kill ya, Dax, with the way you drink." Jak sat down across from where Daxter was. "Sig just called. I've got another mission in the Wastelands, you wanna come?"

"Sorry, Jak. I got to watch the place." Daxter said looking a little nervous. I didn't like the desert. There were big Metal Heads, with big teeth.

"I can watch it, Daxter." Tess hopped up on the counter and gave Daxter a little peck on the cheek. "You go do that hero stuff you're always talking about."

"Let's go, Dax." Jak smiled as Daxter fell off of the counter after drinking more than his usual morning amount.

"Take care of Daxter for me, Jak!" Tess waved as the two left the Naughty Ottsil.

Jak and Daxter walked toward the transporter that would take them to the Sargus City gates. Once on, the door closed and the transported departed for the Wastelands. The winds had indeed gotten stronger. The trans. had troble landing in its usual location. Once on the ground Jak jumped from it to allow the driver to get out so he could clear the storm before it arrived.

Inside the rover garage, Sig was waiting for Jak.

"Nice timing. The storm is almost on us. I just recieved word of what the Marauders were after in the desert. There are two civilians out there. How they were able to make out that far without any equipment is beyond me. But it's obvious that they could use some help. Get out there and bring them back in."

"We're on it." Jak jumpped into his Desert Screamer. It was the fastest of the desert vehicals. With the storm moving closer by the second, they were going to need the extra speed.

"The civilians are near the oasis. You need to hurry if you want to make it back alive."

As soon as the doors opened, Jak put the petal to the floor. He had learned to control his rovers in all conditions. He was the best in all of Spargus. Even Kleiver, the mechanic for the buggies, foceably admitted it. No one could out maneuvor Jak when it came to racing against the clock.

"Jak, there, just up ahead!" Daxter pointed out over the rail of the buggy.

"I see them. Their closing in! Hold on, Dax!" The extra speed enabled Jak to jump the upcoming sand dune and land in the middle on the enclosing circle of Marauders.

"Get out of the way!" Jak yelled out to the girl standing in the sand. He noticed that she was carrying a small child. The girl ran toward the Desert Screamer. When she came close enough Jak could tell that she was young. "Get in!" Jak yelled over the increasing wind.

With bullets still flying, the girl lowered the small boy down off of her back and put him in first. With some cover fire from Jak the girl was then able to get in. She situatted herself to where the small boy was in her lap.

When Jak was sure the two of them were in, he shot his way through the Marauders and drove straight for the gates of Spargus. With the bandits far behind Jak figured it would be best to not drive so recklessly. 'Something is wrong with the kid.' Jak looked at the boy and found he was right. He was injured. There was blood all over his clothes. The wound seemed to be on his shoulder.

With the gates in sight, Jak gave one last boost of energy to the engine. The winds were catching up to them. The storm was almost upon them and if Jak had been any slower, they wouldn't have made itthrough. The doors shut just in time to close out the winds and sands of the storm.

"You made it back, not bad." Sig greeted them when the rover stoped moving.

"We need help, Sig. The kid is hurt. He may have been hit by one of the Marauders. We need to get one of the monks in here fast, preferably Seem." Jak walked around to the other side of the Screamer to help the girl get the kid out. Sig left to find the monk known as Seem.

When the boy was in Jak's arms, he opened his eyes.

"Jak, I knew you'd come. See Colle, he saved us." The boy then fell back to sleep.

The girl named Colle just stared at her brother and Jak. "J-Jak? What's going...on?" With that final question she passed out.

"I'd like to know what's going on here!" Daxter yelled to let Jak know he was still there.

"Me too. But I think we need help first."

"It seems that you are in need of my services." Seem appeared next to Jak, making both Jak and Daxter jump in surprise.

"Don't do that!" Daxter jumped from the vehical and landed next to Seem.

"Place them both on the ground. I feel some unknown power from them." Jak place the boy and the ground gently then the girl. Once this was done, Seem went to work. She looked at the boy first. He seemed to be much worse off than the girl. Seem placed her hand over the boy's injury. She spoke a few quiet undecipherable words and her hand began to glow green. When the monk removed her hand, the bleeding had stopped completely and the wound had closed.

Moving on to the girl, Seem saw no physical injuries. The girl, Colle, had only fainted.

Jak walked up behind Seem. Wanting to know what was going on. And if they were okay.

"The two of them will be fine. Though I have never seen this before. They are not of our world. The girl, however has been touched by a precursor or one or their objects. It has somewhat protected her. The small child had been shot, but not by anything made in our world. He has lost a lot of blood and so he will be weak for afew days." Seem began to walk away. "I suggest you watch them closely. They may have been in contact with the precursors but that means nothing if their hearts are tainted with darkness."

"As strange as ever. I don't think I'll ever understand her." Daxter walked over to the two siblings laying on the ground. "So uh, what do we do with these two?"

"We can take them to the palace." Sig had stood in the back watching the monk at work.

Jak walked over to the girl who had spoken his name and then passed out. He knelt down and picked her up one arm under her knees the other around her waist.

"I see how it is, Jak gets the girl", Daxter jumped onto his friends shoulder, "and you leave Sig with the kid. Not a bad idea."

"Shut up, Dax. This isn't the time for your jokes."

The walk was quiet as they headed for the palace that once belonged to Jak's father, Damas, through the sandstorm that was being buffeted by the walls of Spargus city.

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	5. Chapter 5: Exploring Spargus

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

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**Chapter 5: Exploring Spargus**

Colle sat by the water's edge with her feet gently kicking back and forth. She sat by her brother as she watched him sleep peacefully. His shoulder had healed completely and the bleeding had stopped. All that remained was a scar from where the bullet had entered his small body.

The fact of where the two of them were was still a bit overwhelming for her, but Colle was beginning to accept the fact that they were inside the world of Jak 3.

'But how? The game's creators only set it to last until the defeat of Errol. How does it go on? Maybe I am dreaming.' Colle looked around the palace that was definitely from Jak 3. It was the same place that Jak and Daxter had been brought to when Damas rescued them from the desert. But right now it was empty. The only people in the chamber were herself and Zack.

For some reason she could now believe this was all real. She could feel the cool wetness of the water against her feet as she moved them. If it wasn't real, then how could she feel everything? At least is was better then what was waiting for her when she returned home.

'What if we can't go back?' Colle thought with a slight twinge of fear, but the more she thought about it the better she began to like the idea of staying.

At that moment, Zack began to stir.

"Morning, sleepy head." Colle moved her feet out of the water so she could look at Zack properly. "How do you feel?"

"Weird. I had a dream that we...were..." His eyes grew big and round. He stood up to get a good look at where he was. "It's real! This is so COOL!" Zack began to run around looking at everything.

"Careful, little bro. I don't want you getting hurt again." She followed after him.

"You worry too much. Don't you want to explore?" Zack ran back to his older sister. "Can we go outside?"

"No. I think we should stay here." She looked down at the child in front of her. 'Here we go.'

He poked is bottom lip out and gave her the biggest puppy eyes he could manage. "Pweease? I'll be good."

"Fine. Let's go" She couldn't resist his little routine. She knew he was faking and she also guessed he thought he had complete control ofsome thingsthey did. It was true though. Zack wasn't a spoiled kid, he didn't ask for much, but when he wanted something, he usually got it. Still, she couldn't wait for him to grow out of it.

Picking up the thin book that lay next to him, Zack headed for the elevator.

Having played all three Jak game gave the two of them a small advantage over knowing where they were going. The only problem was that everything looked real, nothing looked like it did in the game. Almost everything was in the right spot but it looked different. That threw things out of perspective.

Jumping onto the elevator, they waited for the ground floor. At the bottom the doors opened and small clouds of sand swept over their feet. The sight that awaited them was nothing that they had expected.

"Whoa." Colle whispered as she walked through the doorway and stepped into the warmth of the sun.

"This is better than the game." People were everywhere. The city was much bigger than they had seen before. Zack looked amongst the crowd to find the one reason why he liked Spargus. "Found one."

Before Colle could stop him, Zack ran off. "Come back here, Zack!" She yelled but had lost him in the midst of the people. "There's no way he could've disappeared that fast." She tried to force her way through the crowd in the direction in which he had gone.

When the crowd finally broke way, Colle found what Zack had been so excited over: Leaper Lizards.

The leapers were tied to posts for any of the citizens wanting to use one. There were three, but it looked like there might have been a fourth one missing. Next to the leapers was a large slightly overweight man, looking quite angry. Colle walked over to him afraid to ask what she knew had happened.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"Yeah? What do you want?" His deep voice adding to the fact that he was unhappy about something.

"I was wondering, if you had seen a small boy? He's only about seven years old." She lowered her voice knowing the man could here her perfectly.

"Was that your brat? He stole one of my lizards. You gonna pay for it or am I gonna have to take it out of your hide?" He lifted his gun that was laying against one of the leaper stalls.

"I-I don't have any money." Colle backed away, ready to run in any direction the she was able to. It looked as if the people of this desert city didn't care what individuals did as long as it didn't effect the whole of the city.

"Idon't much care for thieves." The burly stall keeper walked forward raising his weapon.

"That's enough, Goer."

* * *

"So, why did you ask me to come all the way out here again? Why not just tell me over the communicator?" Jak walked into the center of the Monk Temple. Not really upset just a little irritated. He hadn't had a good nights sleep in over a week. Last night he hadn't closed his eyes for a minute or two before his comm. started buzzing again. It was Seem, she wanted to meet with him at the Temple as soon as the storm ended. And here he was. 

"It was too risky." Seem motioned for Jak to follow her. "I see you did not bring the little orange one with you."

"He complained that I attracted too much trouble." Jak followed the young monk leader down a long hallway and into a large circular chamber.

"He is correct, and it seems that you have done so yet again." Walking through the central chamber, Seem continued to move on.

"What kind of trouble?" Jak guessed that they were heading towards the Oracle.

"You will know when we arrive." That was all that was spoken the rest of the way.

"You have arrived, warrior." Came the Oracle's booming voice. "Once again you have been called upon to protect our planet. A great evil that has once plagued our world has returned." The Oracle became silent.

"Can you be a little more...I don't know, specific?" Jak had never really liked visiting the Oracle. It would always draw things out.

"You need patience, dark one. The Oracle has seen many things in its life." Seem spoke soothingly. "Be respectful."

"Warrior, your enemy has chosen its form well. The ones found in the desert are the key, they may decide whether which side will be victorious. Many trials will present themselves to you, some more challenging than others. Do not be ashamed to seek help." The Oracle fell silent once more.

When the thundering voice faded away, Seem began to led Jak back through the Temple.

"Come back when you have found the Precursor Crystal." The Oracle boomed one final time before the two had left the inner sanctum.

"What's the Precursor Crystal?" Jak asked heading for the Dune Hopper.

"It is a crystal that contains immense power. It is similar to the stone that once resided in the Tomb of Mar. Like you, he too possessed the powers of light and dark." In the central chamber Seem stopped and bowed her head. "You may return anytime you desire. I wish you luck in your search."

Jak returned to his Dune hopper. His mind racing with questions. What was he supposed to do now? The Oracle told him to find the Precursor Crystal, but where was he supposed to start looking?

"Just great, they tell you it's the end of the world and to go find some lost rock, but don't tell you where it is." Daxter met up with his friend on his arrival to Kliever's garage.

"It just means more work for us." The two of them walked through the streets of the desert city, Spargus.

"You know, Dax, since I woke up this morning, it's felt like I forgot to do something." They walked in the direction of Dama's old palace.

"Well you know what they say pal, when you get old your memory is the first to go."

"You should know, you're older." Jak smacked Daxter on the back of the head.

"Ha, ha. Laugh it up, green boy." Daxter then picked his ears up when he heard something close by. "Hey, it's that girl we saved."

"Yeah, let's go." A small commotion was coming from the palace entrance.

Jak went through the throng of people to find a leaper breeder aiming at the girl from the desert.

"That's enough, Goer."

"Keep out of it, kid. This ain't none of your business." He looked over at Jak.

"I don'tlike senseless killing." He was getting angry now. The people of Sargus knew what happened when their champion was angered. The nearest bystanders hurried to get out of the way. It seemed the lizard breeder knew as well.

"Fine. But if I catch her or her little brat near me leapers again, it'll be the end of'em." Goer turned back to his duties of lizard caring.

"Where's the kid?" Jak turned to the girl.

"Wha-?" Colle had realized he was looking at her. She lowered her eyes. "He ran off with one of this man's lizards. I don't know where he went."

"Hey, buddy. We'll need two of you leapers. If you don't mind that is." Daxter added that last part after seeing Goer give them a death glare.

"I'll give you enough for all three." Jak pulled out some coins and put them in the guy's dirty hands. He took the ropes of the leapers and handed one to Colle.

"You have ridden one before haven't you?" He straddled the animal and waited for Colle to do the same.

"Ye-yeah." She tried to get up onto the lizard, but didn't jump high enough. She tried again then was able to get up onto it.

Jak watched her thinking it some what humorous. She said she had ridden one before.

The two rode in silence for ten minutes before Jak spoke.

"What's your name?" He looked over his shoulder.

"It's Colle. And my brother's is Zack." She sped up to walk next to him. "What's yours?" She figured it would be best if she pretended she didn't know him.

"It seems you already know it." Jak looked at her strangely.

"Sorry. I just don't know what's going on anymore." As if on another note, Colle asked, "You weren't really going to hurt that man back there were you?"

"No." He wondered why she had changed to topic. He could wait until later to find out more.

"Colle!" Came a yell from behind them. Zack came running up to them on his leaper. "You found him!" Zack moved in front of Jak to look at him. "Jak."

"Seems like you have a fan club." Daxter spoke a little insulted. 'Who made him king of Spargus?'

"Daxter!" Zack jumped down and ran to pet the ottsel. He stopped when he looked at his sister. She gave him a look that said to cool it. "Sorry for running off like that. This place is so cool though."

The comm. went off and Jak answered it.

"Where are you?" Torn's voice echoed.

"Spargus." Jak was getting a pit in his stomach when he began to remember what Torn had given him to do that morning. "Crap."

"You better believe it. What happened? You were supposed to train that new recruit. Why are you in Spargus?"

"It's my own business." He didn't need to know what he didn't have to.

"Well your business is complete. Get back here and begin training. We don't have time to do nothing." The voice stopped indicating the conversation was over.

"I have to get back to Haven City. I'll take you two back to the palace." He turned his mount around. "You can get cleaned up there."

Back at the palace Jak left Colle and Zack heading toward the Transporter outside of Kleiver's buggy garage.

"I have to admit, little bro, from what I've seen of this place, you were right. It is better than the game."

"You weren't even looking at the city. You were looking at Jak." Zack loved to tease her about this and since they were now in the game it was even better. "You like him."

"No, I was just wondering something." Colle's cheeks went pink.

"Yeah right. At home you draw him all the time."

"So what if I like him. He's meant to like Ashelin. Remember the game ending?" She went looking for some clothes to change into and a place to bathe. Didn't a place like this normally have people to help with this sort of thing?

"The game also didn't continue after the Precursors left, remember? Anything can happen now."

For a little kid, he was smarter than he let on. Hopefully he wouldn't get too much smarter. At least not yet.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Secrets**

For the next couple of days Jak stayed in Haven training the new recruit in the basics. He went out early every morning and came to the Naughty Ottsel each night. The training wasn't so tough that it gave him time to think. 'If the Precursor Crystal is similar to the Stone we found in Mar's Tomb, then it's possible the Crystal could be in a cave or a tomb of some sort.'

"You look like you had fun." Daxter was waiting at the bar for any customer that happened to walk in.

"How can two people we found in the Wastelands be important? And what is this 'ancient' enemy? We haven't seen so much as a Metal Head uprising lately. I'm sure that if there was something out there we would have found it by now." The metal head armies were almost completely destroyed.

"You think too much." Daxter poured him something to drink. "Lossen up a little."

"You seen Samos lately? You said you went to HQ yesterday." Jak swallowed.

"Well, he left after I did. He went to Spargus. He wanted to visit with the monks."

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Not a clue." Daxter poured himself something too. "Looks like Torn's been hitting this stuff a little hard. He spinds too much time in here."

"I'll head out in the morning, then." Finishing his drink, Jak stood up. "I'm leaving, Dax. Maybe this time I'll get some decent sleep." Jak walked through the streets of Haven. Thinking it would take longer to walk all the way to New Haven, Jak got into the nearest zoomer that happened to be occupied.

"Can't I get one minute of peace? Just one?" Jak spoke as his comm. went off for the third time that day. He clicked it on.

"Jak." It was Samos. He sounded worried. "Jak, we have a problem."

"What now?"

"The kid's gone."

"What kid?" Was he supposed to remember everyone he came across?

"From the desert. His sist-."

"He's probably out wandering the city again."

"He's been kindnapped. Colle has gone out into the Wastelands. She took one of the rovers. She won't last ten minutes out there."

"What about Sig? Or Kleiver? Can't they go get her?" Why was he always the one doing everything? It was starting to get a bit rutine.

"They're out getting rid of some Metal Heads the have started acting up recently." Samos's voice took on a different quality. "We can talk later, Jak. My guess is that young woman is very important. We need you to get her and herbrother back." The comm. shut off.

Jak turned his zoomer around and went for the port. Getting back into the transporter he arrived in the sand ridden lands an hour later.

In the garage, Jak chose the Gila Stomper. It would do better in an onslaute of Marauders. The sky had grown darker with the bright green star shining.

"I can't believe this. She took my Screamer. She had a hard time with the leapers, there's no way she can drive that." Jak looked out into the sands searching for Colle or any enimies. "At least it'll be easy to find her." Jak had put trackers in each of his vehichles. The Screamer appeared on his screen as a blue blinking dot.

With nothing distracting him, his mind began to wander to a few days earlier. He had helped to find Zack, Colle's little brother. When he first saw her, her eyes were full of fear. Even after Zack had been found, her dark blue eyes still held some fear. 'What is she afraid of?' He could ask her when he found her though it wasn't any of his business. He had many questions to ask her (and her brother).

The blinking blue dot grew closer until Jak was able to see the Desert Screamer. Colle was having a hard time controlingit on the dunes. He picked up his radio and spoke, "Colle, what the heck do you think you're doing out here?"

"Jak?" Came his reply.

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing?" He drove closer.

"They took him!" She was crying. The Screamer came to a stop. "Those stupid furballs took my brother!" She started to move again.

When the furballs were mentioned, Jak first thought of the Precursors, but that couldn't be right. "Colle, stop so we can talk. First follow me." Jak pulled into the nearby ruins that for some reason the Marauders wouldn't go anywhere near.

"I have to follow them! I can't go and chat!" She jumped over the side of the Screamer when it came to a hault.

"Calm down. You won't be able to catch them like that." Jak too got out. He went to the Screamer and took the keys.

"What are you doing?" Colle walked up behind him.

"You're coming back with me." He took a chain from the Stomper and hooked it to both vehichles.

"No, I'm not. I have to bring him back. He's all I have left." Colle tried to remove the chain from the Screamer but couldn't.

"I'll get him back, but first I'm taking you to Spargus." He finished and got ready to go. He turned to Colle. She didn't seem to budge. "Look, I'll bring him back, okay? I want you to go back to Spargus first. You won't stand a chance out here. You can't bring him back if you're dead."

She said nothing. Jak took that as her agreement and climbed into the Stomper. Colle lingered a moment then followed suit. The return trip was uneventful. Not a word was spoken between the two. Only one strange thing happened, or rather, didn't. Not a single Marauder was seen.

Around midnight, Jak walked through the halls on his was to bed, after talking with Samos in the throne room. Going past a certain doorway he looked when he felt the gental breeze of summer. This door led to the balcony. Jak stopped when he noticed someone. Colle was sitting next to the railing holding something close to her.

"Go away." She could feel someone watching her from behind.

Jak walked to the edge of the balcony and saw the lights of the peoples' houses. "I'm sorry about earlier. I will bring him back."

"I can do it. I've done it before." She lowered the object she'd been holding. Jak got a look at it. There was a drawing of some sort on the cover of a book. It was too dark to tell what it was.

Jak sat down not far away from the girl. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he didn't know where to begin. Then he knew. "How did you know my name?"

Colle looked at him thinking of how to answer. If she told him the truth, he would think she was crazy. 'Who knows, maybe I am.' She had told Samos thinking he might understand, he just looked at her pityingly. Finally she replied, "I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" It involved him, he had the right to know.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"You really want to know? You want to think I'm crazy just like that old sage?" When he didn't answer she went on. "Fine, I'll tell you." Colle explained to him that she wasn't from here and that where she lived he was only a video game charater.

Jak had sat quietly through the whole thing, but Colle could tell he was having a hard time swallowing it. She handed him what she had been holding. "This is my brother's. It came from our world. It's all the proof you'll need."

He flipped through the pages and looked back up at Colle. There was that same fear in her eyes as before. Finishing his glances at the pages he gave it back to the girl. "What is that?" His whole adventure of becoming a Wastelander and going to Spargus for the first time was in there. Every single mission.

"It's a strategy guide. They're used to help people play games." She spoke softly hoping he would leave. He didn't plan on it. She was still hiding something.

"There's something I've noticed everytime I look at you." Jak spoke quietly through the silence. He hopped that he didn't sound as stupid as he thought he did. "You're scared. You try to hide it, but it still shows. You're scared of something, what is it?"

Colle didn't look up.She barely knew him, at least outside of the game. He could be totaly different.Was she going to tell him everything now? It wasn't like he had a right to know. But she wanted him to know. Taking a deep breath, she started. "I had a boyfriend back in my world. His name was Jeremy."

For some reason Jak had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't explain why he felt such feelings. He had only known her for a very short time. Perhaps it was some other feeling. Maybe it was what he thought. This girl could be lying to him. He wasn't sure if he should've believed her, but something inside him told him that she was telling the truth.

"He would always come over, either mad or drunk. He was the worst person you would ever want to meet. He was so cruel to me, but at least he didn't threaten to kill me." She lifted the game guide with Jak's picture on it. "We were playing this game the night Jeremy came over. I thought I had locked the door."

The moonlight flowed into the room after coming from behind a cloud. The light filled the room and covered the balcony. It was bright enough for Jak to see Colle clearly. Tears were briming at her eyes. Now he felt bad for asking. And for doubting her.

"Jeremy would always argue about nothing and when I didn't agree with him..." She rolled up the sleeve of her left arm. There was a large dark bruise that covered most of her lower arm. She then pulled up part of her pant leg to show him her ankle. A scar streatched from right below the bone and up past to where she had the leg pulled up. "We had argued earlier that day, it had been about Zack. He hit me and I fought back." Her voice was starting to give out. "Our parents died last year, you see. They were killed in a plane crash durring a business trip. Jeremy had been nice around them. They trusted him.

"That nightJeremycame over. He had brought a gun and shot Zack." She was crying completely. "I took him and ran. I almost lost him. Zack almost died. That's why I have to bring him back, he's all I have left."

Jak sat there stuned. He didn't know what to do. She was so quiet and innocent he couldn't imagine anyone taking advantige of her. He had never had to deal with something like this let alone think about it. She had been in a situation when she could do almost nothing and when she did she paid for it. Why hadn't she told anyone?

Colle sat crying minutes after. Jak hated to see this. He wanted her to stop, but most of all he wanted to see the fear gone from her eyes, to she her smile a ginuine smile. He then did something most unlike him. He moved over to the crying girl and rapped his arms around her. Why he had done this was a mystery even to himself.

Colle stiffened slightly then relaxed knowing he wouldn't hurt her. She layed her head against him and tryed to calm dowm.

An hour later, Colle had completely stopped crying. Jak had been looking at the stars and wondering what he was going to do next. He would have to go rescue Colle's little brother. He couldn't bear to see her like this again. Realizing that she had stopped moving, Jak looked down to find Colle asleep with her head on his shoulder. He felt so comfortable with this girl. It wasn't like when he was with Keira or Ashelin.

Feeling the burn from the lack of sleep in his eyes, Jak closed them thinking he would only rest. Soon he found himself dreaming of things like they were in Sandover Village.

**Dream Sequence**

The white beaches of Sentinal were warmed by the morning sun as Jak walked along the water's edge. Being home made him feel at peace with himself. Always remembering the way things were and the peacefulness of everything around him. There was one thing missing though.

The suroundings began to shift and change into the dark and dingy city of Haven. A darkness that Jak had never known existed began to emerge within him. The dark eco inside changed his appearance and increased his thurst for revenge and blood.

Something within him was stuggling. He could feel both the light and darkness inside him. They fought constantly now. One trying to become stronger than the other. There was no longer a sense of balance to distinguish them. It was getting harder to control.

At first the battle inside Jak only left a slight pressure then slowly it began to turn into a searing throbbing pain. His head felt as if it would exploid. It was becoming unbearable. The darkness was beginning to grow stronger. It was coming out.

**End Dream Sequence**

Colle awoke the next morning to the brilliant sun shining in her eyes. Slowly opening her eyes she was able to see the people of Sargus waking up and going about their business. Felling something warm beside her, she looked to her right. Blushing imidiately when she saw what was next to her. It was Jak. Major butterflies were forming in her stomach. Colle looked at Jak while he slept, you never saw it in the game. He looked so peaceful. Being with him and warmed by the sun made her feel there was nothing wrong in the world, but there was. She had to get Zack from those creatures. 'I thought they were the good guys.'

"Morning, Colle." Jak said drowsily when he sat up. He yawned and rubbed his face.

"Good morning." She was surprised he was so comfortable with the situation. She watched him as he got up and walked to the balcony. He yawned again.

"I haven't slept that good in over a week." The palace was facing the ocean. The sun was bearly above the horizon. The light was throwing shades of pink, orange, and yellow across the water. "I think it's time to eat."

At the mention of food, Colle perked up. She was starving, she hadn't had any food since the morning before. "That's a good idea." She stood up too and went to stand beside Jak. The wind blew at Colle, bringing the smell of the sea. Then she remembered that she hadn't bathed in almost two days. The sand from the desert was still in her hair.

"I'll go see if Samos is up yet." Jak walked through the double doors leaving Colle alone. This gave Colle a chance to get cleaned up.

Colle went to her room and picked out some clean clothes that had been given to her. She grabbed a small red shirt with dark leather triming and medium brown pants. She headed toward the palace bathroom to get the sand out of her hair. Twenty minutes later she emerged with wet hair and a refreshed feeling about her.

The hallway was filled with the smell of breakfast. Not knowing where to go, Colle followed her nose until she reached the kitchen. There was a small table with plates on it. Three of them had food. Jak was sitting at the table with Samos. The two of them were talking over something in hushed tones and stopped when they spotted Colle.

"What? Did I do something?" She walked over to the third plate and sat down in front of it.

"No, Jak and I were just discusing an issue that had come up in Haven city." Samos chewed some yakow meat.

"Does that mean you're leaving?" She looked at Jak. She wanted to stay with him and she didn't know if he would take her along with him.

"Yeah, it seems that Torn's been extra irritable lately. He want's me to check out another disapearance. The thing now is that's there are three people missing." He finished eating and got up to leave.

"Wait. I want to come with you." Colle started to stand up. "I won't get in the way."

"No. It might be too dangerous." He walked out the door and to the elevator with Colle right behind him. "Besides, from what you told me last night, I can guess that you don't havemuch of afighting experiance." It may have hurt her but it was the truth.

"Then teach me." Colle stood in front of Jak stopping him from getting onto the elevator. "You can teach me how to fight and stuff. Then you won't have to worry."

Jak thought on it for a second. It sounded reasonable. She would be able to protect herself and her brother if the situation ever called for it again. Maybe then she wouldn't be so helpless and he wouldn't have to see her cry anymore.

"Alright, I'll teach you how to fight. It won't be easy, and you can't complaine." Jak walked around her to step onto the lift back to the ground level.

"Thank you, thank you." She thought of something. "So does that mean I can come with you to Haven?" She looked hopeful.

"Okay, fine. You can come. But don't get in the way."

"I won't."

"Where have I heard that one before." Jak smiled to himself.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7: Internal Wars

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** Koni! Here is the second chapter as promised! Hope you like it.Thank you once again for reviewing.On with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Internal Wars**

Torn was waiting for Jak when he arrived at the Naughty Ottsel. And of corse, so was Daxter.

"It's about time you got here, Jak. I need you to go out to the old meatal head city area. I've recieved word of something being sighted. I want you to find out what it is." Torn saw the girl hiding behind Jak. "Who are you?" He asked none to friendly.

"Colle." She stepped sideways and out from behind Jak. She had always like Torn when she played the game but hearing him in real life he was a little intimidating.

"She's with me, Torn. You don't have to worry about it." Jak could tell Torn didn't approve of her, she was weak. Torn saw her as one more obsticale to get in the way.

"You don't need any distractions, you've been slacking off as it were lately. Maybe this is the reason why. But do what ever. I want you to go out to the metal head city. After that go to Haven Forest, Onin's looking for you." Torn turned around and looked at Daxter holding a bottle from behind the counter. It was one of the good ones. "You can take the rodent with you too." He tossed Daxter over to Jak.

Leaving the bar, Daxter spoke. "He only got rid of me so he could drink."

"I kind of got the feeling he didn't like me very much." Colle pointed to a parked zoomer they could use.

"He just got into a fight with Ashelin. It wasn't pretty." Daxter jumped from Jak's sholder and onto Colle's when she got onto the zoomer.

"I don't think so. You're not diriving." Jak put his hand on the stearing bar.

"I can drive this."

"Remember the leaper and the Screamer? I'm dirving."

Colle argued but Jak wasn't going to budge. She moved over and Jak started the zoomer. Over the green acid that covered the ground of the creatures' city, they looked for any sign of...well, anything.

After a long and fruitless search, Jak came to a stop. "I didn't see anything unusual." Jak then flew toward the Haven Forest entrance.

"Yeah, just the same green gunk that was there the last time we were here." Daxter looked over the edge of the zoomer. It sure was a long drop to the bottom.

Haven forest had grown greener over the last two years. Jak hadn't see it since it was overrun by darkmakers. He hadn't had a reason to come back.

"It's beautiful." Colle gasped. Flowers were in bloom all over the place. The grass was covered in blues, pinks, purples, and yellows. The water was sparkeling with reflections from the sun. The trees had regained their green leaves. The entire forest looked alive.

"Come on." Jak left the two of them and walked to the golden platform where he would meet the old soothsayer, Onin.

"Hey, cutie. Aren't you gonna follow him?" Daxter waved his hand infront of Colle's face.

"Sorry, Daxter. I thought I saw something over there." She had been looking around and saw something move from the corner of her eye, but when she turmed to see what it was, she didn't see anything.

Walking after Jak, Colle continued to look for it. She ran after him.

Arriving at the precursor platform, Onin with her talking moncaw, Peaker, sat waiting.

"Greetings, Jak. Onin has something to tell you." Peaker translated for Onin. "You have learned that we have a new threat to our planet. The Orical hasspoken to me and informed me that this girl is a key to what lies ahead."

"How can that be?" She had never been here before. She had only played the games.

"I'm afraid that even the Oracle doesn't know that. All it could say is that you must be strong and not give up. Jak has the strength to protect you but he will not always be able to do so."

"How do you-?" Jak started.

"Sorry, that is all Onin has said. I think you should look for the answers out there." Peaker motioned to the forest.

"That was a waste of time." Colle walked back to the exit with Daxter on her shoulder and her hands clasped behind her back.

"Isn't that all you have?" Jak said jokingly.

"Which reminds me. Are you going to train me or not?" Colle walked backwards so see could see Jak better.

"Sure. We can start later this afternoon, first we have to report back to Torn."

Colle thought of doing the same moves as she had seen Jak use when she played the game back home. Unfortunatly thinking of training also brought back why she had asked and what had happened the day before. Colle had completely forgotten about her brother Zack. "I'm horrible." She stopped walking and began to cry.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She was crying again. Jak hated it. It made him feel like he had done something wrong.

"I forgot him." She whispered.

"Forgot who?" He was totaly confused. One minute she was as happy as he had ever seen her then next she was in tears.

"Zack. I've been having fun while he's been captured and alone. How could I do something like that?" She sat on a nearby rock.

"You mean that little kid? How did he get caught?" Daxter walked beside his friend as he knelt next to Colle.

"We'll talk about it later, Dax." Jak placed his hand on Colle's shoulder. "It's okay. You need time to relax. If you worry about everything all the time, you'll never have a chance to do the things you want. Besides, when I train you, you'll be able to help save him. You'll be stronger."

* * *

Clouds moved to cover the sky when the others returned to the Naughty Ottsel. Daxter had a fit when he found Torn had drank himself to sleep at the bar. An hour later, rain began to pour outside.

Colle had said that she was tired and Jak told her there was an extra room up the stairs. Leaving Jak and Daxter to themselves, she went to the bedroom. The idea of training that afternoon was completely out of her mind.

"So, what exactly happened yesterday?"

"After I left here, Samos called. He said that Colle's brother had been kidnapped and that Colle had gone out into the desert after them."

"That is one crazy chick."

"Something she said makes me think she knows who it was that took Zack, the thing is though, she hasn't been here that long. Only a week."

"What did she say?"

"She called them 'furballs'."

Daxter and Jak seemed to be on the same thinking path.

"Dax, you don't think-"

"The Precursors?"

"Yeah, the question is: Why?"

The two of them sat talking for the next couple of hours or so until Daxter got so drunk that he couldn't put two words together. Jak told him to go to bed and that he would be leaving. Walking out in the rain was another thing Jak hated. Before he walked out the door, he heard something crash from up stairs. Thinking Colle was going to do something stupid again, he climbed the stairs to the extra bedroom. He knocked on the door and when he didn't recieve an answer cracked it open. "Colle? You okay?" She was sitting on the edge of the bed staring out the window.

"You can come in."

Jak did and found what had made the noise. A waterglass had been knocked to the floor.

"I knocked it over on accident. I couldn't see, it was too dark." She moved over to let Jak sit down.

"I see you're not beating yourself up anymore."

"You were right. If I worry about everything all the time, I'll go crazy." She smiled at him.

"I didn't say it like that." It was nice to see her smile instead of cry. It meant she was feeling better.

"You didn't have to. I realized that sometimes it's okay to forget your troubles. Zack had always tried to teach me that, I guess. WheneverJeremyand Iwould fight, Zack would always make me play one of his games. He wanted me to be happy. He was so young, but he still understood more than I gave him credit. He knew what Jeremy did, he tried to get me to leave him. But I couldn't." She sighed and went on. "I never told Zack, but it was because of him that I stayed with Jeremy. Jeremy had threatened to kill Zack if I tried to leave, so I stayed."

Colle had never had anyone to sit and listen to her. She had always kept everything inside. Maybe that was part of the reason she was he way she was. It felt good to let it out finaly. It felt good talking to Jak about the things that had happened even if he couldn't change them.

"You know we'll get him back, Zack I mean."

"I know. I have complete faith in you and Daxter." She looked at him mischivous. "And if you don't you won't want to stay in one place too long."

Jak didn't like that. He edged away from her smiling nervously.

"I'm only joking." She said laughing.

Knowing it was getting late and that Jak would want to get some sleep, Colle said her good night and got ready for bed once again.

By the time Jak made it outside, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. "Much better." Jak jumped onto the zoomer he had used earlier that day. About half way to his place in New Haven the rain begain to pick up once again.

Upon entering the Slums, Jak became aware that something was different about tonight. There was a feeling inside him that made him nervous. Something was happening. Jak had to stop his zoomer when a searing pain rushed through his body. Before the zoomer could reach the ground, Jak fell. He hit the ground hard knocking the breath out of his lungs. Star bursts flashed across his vision as he waited for the pain to subside.

The dark and light side were fighting for real inside Jak, it was no longer a dream. The pain was real. Each side trying to gain an upper hand while causing excrusiating pain to their master.

On the other side of the city, Colle had woken up. Something was bothering her. She could tell there was something wrong, she just couldn't tell what. An image of Jak passed across her mind. Colle knew he was in trouble. She ran downstairs and found Torn still snoring on the bar. She tried to wake him but it was no use. She was beginning to panic. If Jak was in trouble then who would save him. He was always the one to save everyone else.

Colle spotted a small door on the other side of the room. She could hear someone snoring. 'It must be Daxter!' She began to knock on the door until the little ottsel answered.

"I'm up! What do you want?" Seeing it was Colle.

"Something's happened to Jak." She said figuring he would jump up and run after his friend.

"He can take care of himself, he's a big boy." Clearly he was still drunk, he was having trouble staying on his feet and talking to where he was understood. He slamed the door harder than he meant to and went back to bed.

"Why that stupid little rat!" Colle ran out of the Naughty Ottsel hoping to find a zoomer. Luckly there was one nearby. It was painted a dark blue. It was probably a Freedom Leage zoomer. Colle guessed it belong to Torn. "I don't think he's going to be driving, not with him wasted like that." Now it was time to find out if Jak was right. Could she fly this thing or not?

Colle started the engine. She jumped and grabed the handel bars when the zoomer lurched forward. "I'm gonna die." She moaned as she eased the vehichel into the sky. Figuring it was an all or nothing deal, Colle pushed the gas as hard as she could, so she could find Jak.

Many times Colle barely missed hitting a sign or the corner of a building making sharp turns. Having been through the streets of Haven in the game helped her to tell when most turns were coming up, but a few she didn't know.

Turning one more corner, Colle found Jak on the ground. He was doubled in on himself holding his head.

The zoomer stopped and sunk to the ground quickly. Colle ran to Jak but stopped when he spoke to her.

"Don't...Something...isn't right. Something...inside me." He spoke between his teeth and gasps of air. "The light and dark-" Jak was transforming. Into which though was imposible to distinguish. One second he would grow horns and the next his wings would begin to apear.

Colle didn't know what to do. She was helpless to do anything to help him. "Jak!" She tried to get closer. He held out a clawed hand to stop her. "You have to let me help you! I won't let you suffer like this." Tears of fear and frustrastion.

Jak heard her talking but couldn't make any of the words out. Turning into his darker self he looked into the girl's face. He could smell the saltiness of her tears. He remembered it was one of the things he hated the most: to see this girl cry. His mind began to return to normal. "Colle?"

"Jak! Are you okay? Say something!" Colle grabbed a hold of his arm to help him sit up when he had finaly returned to normal.

"I'm fine." The pain was ebing away slowly.

"No you're not. Come on, I'll take you to HQ." The zoomer was still running when Colle walked Jak to it.

"I said, I'm fine." He jerked away. Jak sat in the street regaining his composure. 'Need to see Onin, Samos, or someone.' Thinking to himself Jak shakily got up. Colle reached for him but he pulled away. "I'm okay, don't worry." He placed his hand on her shoulder to stand straight up. He made his way to the awaiting zoomer.

"I think you might want me to drive."

"Can you drive this thing?" He looked doubtitly.

"Sort of." She smiled sheepishly. "But you might want to let me drive all the same." Colle sat in front while waiting for Jak to get behind her. Once he got on, she asked, "Where do you want me to go?"

"You can take me to Onin. She might know something." As Colle drove as best she could, Jak layed his head against her back. He felt awful. His head was still pounding but it was nothing like before.

Colle flew as fast as she could with the rain hitting her face and trying not to run into anything. She spent too much time worrying in this world. It was more than her home, but she had to admit, there was never a dull moment.

Onin's hut was full of smoke and burning candles. A strange scent rose into the air as well as the smoke when Jak and Colle entered bringing in a gust of wind and rain.

"What is the big idea! I have you know I was in the middle of a very important dream! Not that you need to know." Pecker flew into Colle's face. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Jak needs to see Onin." She spoke hastily."Something's wrong."

"Sorry, but no one is to see Onin until further notice." The half-bird, half-monkey moved to reveal the old woman. "She has entered a trance and there is no way to know when it will be over."

"But-"

"That's okay." Jak interupted. "I just need to lie down for some rest." There was a mat next to one of the tent's walls that was free from rain and near the fire that burned in the center of Onin's hut. He had the feeling Onin could still help him. As soon as he closed his eyes, he was out.

Minutes later after Jak had fallen asleep, Pecker and Colle went as well. Pecker on Onin's large hat and Colle next to the doorway. Rain continued to thunder down on the city of Haven.

* * *

**Sushi:** This thing got deleted so I had to go back and fix everything. I even found more errors. I know I didn't get all of them. There was one I know I missed I just couldn't find it.

**Jak**: Noone's perfect.

**Sushi**: Thanks Jak. That was nice.

**Jak**: Especailly you.

**Sushi**: Hey!

**Jak:** Review and maybe she'll stop looking at me like I'm gonna have nightmares for the next week and a half. (runs out of the room being chased.)

**Sushi**: (returns out of breath) That was fun. Please don't froget to review!


	8. Chapter 8: The New Enemy

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** This chapter is going to be short, especally compaired to all of my other chapters. The next one might be even worse. Sorry about that, but this is all I wanted revealed for the moment. I didn't want this to be combined with another chapter because I don't like doing that so I made it it's own chapter. This is a change though, hardly any dialog. Oh, and thank youeskimo'sRsxy for the wonderful review.

(A/N: anyone who has submitted a review will see their name along with a comment or two on my profile page. It makes thinkg a lot easier.)

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**Chapter 8: The New Enemy**

Zack had been in his cell for three days so far. Nothing of intrest ever happened. He did know one thing and that was that his captors weren't Precursors like he had first thought. They were Rosrucerps (A/N: can be pronounced ros-ruc-erps). The Precursors had experimented with Light and Dark eco and the result of their experiments were the Rosrucerps. The two races fought with one another constantly. After years of fighting, the Precursors banished the Rosrucerps.

Zack had learned much from one Rosrucerp in particular. His name was Ewitz. He wasn't like his brethren. He didn't have the anger and hatred in his eyes that the others did. He did however shelter the same desire for revenge against the Precursors for what they had done those many years ago.

Ewitz was whatthey considered the runt of the litter. The other Rosrucerps paid little attention to him. He was able to get Zack enough food from the kitchens when the others were out preparing for their invasion. Ewitz had told Jak much about his leader's future plans. The Rosrucerp wanted to be in on the action as well, but everyone thought him to be weak. So he practiced in front of Zack every day when the coast was clear.

Ewitz was about the same hight of Zack. His slinder form made visible that he would be a great fighter. Patches of orange fur spread out over his thin body where dark green scales didn't cover. This was one major difference between Ewitz and Jak's short friend Daxter. Long claws extended from his paws and his eyes were a deep ocean green (yes green). He was smaller compaired to his fellow Rosrucerps. They were atleast two heads taller than him.

The two of them spent days talking. Zack told him of his home and how he had gotten to be in this world. Ewitz explained that there was something more to the banished Precursor creations. They had a transformation. Unfortunatly, Ewitz was unable to change.

One of the last days Zack spent in his cell, Gurotik, the commanding officer of the scalely ottsels, appeared before the seven year old.

"You are not the one we need. But you will do just as well." He whispered something to Ewitz who was the one to keep watch over the boy. Gurotik suspected that there was a growing relationship between the two but said nothing of it. He left to send out a scouting party into the wastelands once again.

"What did he say?" Zack made sure no one else was near by.

"You are to be used to attract the girl you were with when we found you. She is the one that he is after." Ewitz looked away. Clearly he knew something that he asn't saying.

"Why are they after her? We've never been here before."

"Your sister has the ability to control eco. That is a great power."

"She can't do that. She's normal just like me." Things were so confusing around here!

"If she is then I pray to the Precursors that she isn't caught."

"You're not telling me something. What is it?"

"When your sister is brought here, they are going to kill you. You will no longer be needed." Ewitz walked away to go get the child something to eat.

This was not realy new to Zack. He had almost died before but he didn't know about it. Now he knew but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was hope that he was rescued before the unevitable happened.

* * *

**Sushi:** Sorry for the short chapter. The next one won't be short. After that things start getting better. Don't forget to review. 


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclamer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** Thank you Mystery for reviewing. I haven't really been into writing too much but I think I'm back. I'll go ahead and update now because I'm going to prom tomorrow night. I can't wait for it! Anyway here we go!

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**Chapter 9: Strange Happenings**

The smells of the candels mixed with the rain fresh air. The sun was finally shining to dry up the water and mud on the streets. Sunlight filtered through the cracks of Onin's hut to gently awaken its inhabitants.

Jak had woken hours before to find himself completely relaxed. The strange events of the previous night erased temperarely from his mind.

Colle was coming into consciousness to see Jak walking out into the early morning air. She followed. "Hey." The late summer air was warm and pleasant.

"How did you know? About last night?" Jak streached his arms and legs.

"I'm not really sure. One minute I'm sleeping and the next I have the worst feeling of something wrong. I was worried about...you" She realized she had said more than she had meant to. Her face started to grow warm. Hopefully he hadn't caught that last part.

"It's strange, I don't know what it is, but something's happening inside me. It feels like both my light and dark sides are fighting for control. I don't know what's causing it." There was a short silence.

"When I was still in Sandover Village, I had all of the greatest adventures with Daxter. We would go every where and do anything. There wasn't anything better. Even when Gol and Maya turned up and Dax was an ottsel, you couldn't keep us from enjoying ourselves. Living here is different. Although there's been two wars in the last few years that I've been here, this place has become my home. It's exciting here, though I have to admit it does get tiring after a while. I'm always out saving someone or looking for something. I hardly have any time to relax anymore. I mean what good is having a time of peace if you can't even enjoy it?"

"Because you're allowing others to live. Also, even during times of peace you still get to do what you want. You haven't had to do that much since I've been here."

"That's because, Torn thinks I'm being distracted. He's the one who took over training Mora. She's a new recruite for the Freedom Leage." Jak thought of how much he hadn't had to do. Colle was right. he didn't have much to do. The more he ran this through his head, the more Jak liked the idea. Torn had become too dependant on him. That was going to stop. If something needed to be done, he would do it because it called for it or he wanted to do it.

"Torn only wants things to get done. He knows you're the best one to see things through. I think you would do something to help someone even if you didn't want to."

Jak waited a few minutes before he went back inside. He stopped shortly before entering the hut. 'What did she say? How could she have known what I was thinking? I didn't say anything about it.' Ignoring the fact that Colle had just said something very unusual with the fact that he hadn't said anything, Jak went to tell Pecker that he would return when Onin was awake.

The two returned to the Naughty Ottsel and then left for Spargus. Since Onin was indisposed at the moment, the next best thing would be the Precursors themselves. They gave him his powers in the first place, it would only be right that they would know what was going on with them now.

* * *

**(Back with Zack and Ewitz...)**

The next day nothing had changed. Ewitz would bring his food and the two would exchange a few words, but other than that, nothing.

Late one night the scalely ottsel woke Zack up. "I can get you out of here."

"What? How?" He asked sleepily.

"You just have to do what I tell you. But if you mess this up, I won't be able to help you." He was very serious.

"What do I have to do?"

Plans of escape were discussed through out the rest of the night untill Zack could no longer keep his eyes open. He still had one question left to ask his new friend.

"What will happen to you? Won't you get in trouble?"

"Yes, but it will keep you out of harm and another war will be postponed." He knew what would happen to him when everyone found out he had let the prisoner escape. More than likely he would be killed. No one would care. It would just be one less thing to worry about.

"Then you should come with me." Zack was awake now. He wasn't going to let his friend get hurt because of him. "If you don't come with me, then I won't leave."

"Alright. I'll come." Ewitz lied to the boy. Even if he could go with Zack he would be hunted down. He would be putting the boy in even more danger.He smiled as much as he could down at the boy sitting at his furry feet.

"Good." Zack became drowsy again but this time he feel asleep.

"I'll miss you, kid."

* * *

The monk temple was farther than Jak had remembered. The dune hopper creaked as it jumped from landing to landing. Colle had been quiet the whole way there. Daxter sat in her lap watching the sand and water go by. 

Seem was wating for them when the small group arrived. "Welcome. The Precursors have been ecpecting you. We must hurry,he cannot stay long."

"How did they even know we were gonna be here. I didn't know until mister grumpy dragged me out of bed." Daxter wasn't happy with Jak at the moment.

"They have their ways, orange one." Seem led the three of them down inside the temple into the chamber where the Oracle rested. "I sense something troubles you, hero." She said as they walked.

"Something does, I just wish I knew what."

"There are two sides to everything, even people. You have only lost the balance between them." Seem could feel the clashing powers within him.

"I know that much."

"Relax, the Leader will be able to explain any questions you have come across."

"You have finally arrived, brave ones. It is good to see agian." The Ottsel Leader spoke up. "It seems that you are having a bit of trouble these days."

"Yes but how did you know?" Jak didn't like it when people knew things before he ever told them. He remembered earlier with Colle.

"It wasn't very hard, believe me. In fact I had a little help from your friend here." The Leader waved his staff toward Colle. "She has great potental, you know."

Colle looked at the round puff ball like he had lost his marbles.

"How could she help you, she's never seen you guys before now."

"You sure are asking a lot of questions, Jak. Let me asure you things are perfectly okay. This young woman has no knowledge of what lies within her." The Leader looked at Colle expectantly.

"What are you talking about?" Colle hated it when others talked about her right in front of her like she wasn't there. "And where is Zack? Why did you take him?"

"It was not the Precursors who took your younger brother, but the Rosrucerps." He answered then thought of another way to answer her question. No doubt it would bring more. "The Rosrucerps were experements created by us, the Precursors. They were banished thousands of years ago from this world after a terrible war. They have returned to form this world in their own image."

"Why did they take Zack?"

"They wanted you, my dear, not him."

"What for? I haven't done anything to them." Colle knew he would eventually get to the point, but he was getting to it awfully slowly.

"It's not what you have done to them, but what you can do _for_ them."

When Colle was about to speak again, the ossel leader interjected. " When you touched that Precursor artifact in your world, it allowed you to come here but it also unlocked your powers."

All of which the ottsel had been saying hit Colle like a load of bricks. He knew she was from another world! What did he mean when he talked about powers. Humans didn't have powers, well except psychics, but even they were fake.

"I don't have powers and how could you know anything that goes on in my world. You aren't real your're only-"

"Game characters. Yes, I know." He shook his head and continued on."Our worlds are connected. Everything that you saw when you played that game it happened in the past."

"How did the people in her world find out about it then?" This world was full of mystories. By the time Jak was an old man he wouldn't even know half of then.

"I'm getting to that. Yes, well many years ago, one of our less reliable bretheran decided to leave. He brought with him the history of your world, Jak. Of course it had yet to happen in your time, but he soon found his way into Colle's world." He turned to face Colle. "He was also responsible for a very important artifact. You happened to be the one to find it. You were destended to find it. I just can believe it was in a dumpster of all places. That Precursor created a company known as Naughty Dog. He created those games you know from the Jak trilogy."

"You're telling me, that a two foot tall fuzzball, runs one of the best gaming industries in my world?"

"Yes."

"Well okay then, just go ahead and tell me anything else to let me know I'm losing my mind."

"I assure you, it's all perfectly real."

"Now that I know how I got here, what about these powers you were talking about?" It seemed so unreal. She had finaly accepted that Jak's world was real but now this ottsel shows up saying it had always been real and that she, Colle, had powers. The Jak games in her world were only events that had happened in the past. They were real. And Naughty Dog was run by an orange rat. That makes sense, doesn't it?

"In you world, there are very few who are able to come here. You are the first, in fact, no one has ever found out that this place is real. I also believe that no one ever will. Your powers are special. They allow you to understand people's feelings and thoughts. But they also have a more dangerous side to them. When your powers fully awaken, youwill be able tocontrol eco. Not just light or dark, but all types."

She could read people's thoughts. Jak remembered earlier that day. Colle must have done that without realising it. She could also know people's feelings. That must have been how she had found him. She could feel him when he was in pain.

"I'm afraid that is all I am able to tell you. The rest you must find out for yourself. My time here is short and I have the feeling that there are other questions to be answered." The Leader looked to Jak.

Jak knew what he wanted to asked the elder ottsel. What was happening inside him. Why his powers were fighting against eachother. And what the Precursor cyrstal was. He had looked through the historical archives at HQ,but had run across nothing that sounded any older thanfour hundred years.

"What's happening to me? Why do I feel like I'm in pain?"

"You have already noticed that your powers have grown one sided, I see. I won't go into the things that you already know so I'll just get to the bottom. Your dark powers were given to you first, they have had more time to grow stronger and they are trying to push out your lighter side. If this happens then you will become dark as well. The eco that runs through your body could kill you, but that is were Colle comes in. With her powers she will be able to balance the eco inside you. For now though, I can only give you ease of pain and give your light side more streangth to fight off the darkness. It should be enough until Colle has full control over her powers." The Leader waved his staff in front of Jak as the orb on top began to glow blue. The light surrounded Jak. "That should be enough."

"Thank you, I feel better. There is one more thing I want to ask you before you leave." Jak looked down at his hands as the blue light faded.

"There never is an end to these question, is there? Alright, get on with it." He was becoming impatient.

"What is the Precursor Crystal?"

"Oh dear. I'm afraid there is only a small bit of information I can give you. Knowledge of the Cyrstal has all but been erased fron our own history."

"You mean that the great, 'we know everything' Precursors are at a loss?" Daxter had his words.

"You want to keep those pants?" The round ottsel looked at Daxter angryly. Daxter stepped back behind Jak. "I thought so. The Crystal is the crystallized form of all eco fused together. It had been used to protect this planet many thousands of years ago, but has since gone missing. Nothing else is known."

Colle and Jak returned to Spargus after the Precursor Leader had left. Jak thought about what he had learnd and how it would help him out later on. He was brought from his thoughts by Colle.

"Doesn't your head hurt?" Jak was being way too serious. Colle was going to put a stop to it. The more she thought about that more she realised this world had changed her. Normaly she would have just left people to themselves. She liked the change.

"No. Why?"

"You've been thinking for over an hour. You aren't normally this quiet. It's kind of disturbing." Colle smiled when she stopped infront of him.

"My head _would_ hurt, if it was yours." Jak smiled sheepishly at the girl infront of him.

"Ha, ha, ha. You know you'd make a better comidian than a fighter." She said sarcasticly.

"You started it. I just happened to be the one to finish it."

Arriving at the Palace, they were greeted by Sig. He was waiting for them with some news for Colle. Appearently the monks had taken up the liberty of settleing a few arangments for her. Like a place to stay. Colle now had an appartment in Spargus. It was the next step to making this place her home.

* * *

**Sushi:** It's the end of chapter 9! 

**Jak**: What's so great about that?

**Sushi**: You'll have to want until the next chapter to find that out. Which, by the way is still incomplete. I hope to finish it soon. There is one good thing to not getting any reviews right away, though.

**Jak**: What's that?

**Sushi**: More time to finish more chapters! Please review!

**Jak**: I thought you just told them not to.

**Sushi**: That's not what I meant and you know it!


	10. Chapter 10: True Feelings part 1

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters of places of the Jak trilogy games. They belong to Naughty Dog. I only own my original characters like Colle and Zack.

Sushi: This chapter took forever and it was so long that I had to make it a two parter. It's early in the morning so I'm not going to say much.

**

* * *

Chapter 10: True Feelings part 1**

Jak had returned to Haven and to his own place with his head full of thoughts and his stomach empty of food. Scrounging around his pantry, Jak pulled out some preserved yakow meat and milk.

The warmth of summer was slowly slipping away to the coolness of autumn. Jak at his late dinner and got ready for bed. During this he ran some questions through his head. 'Looks like we're going to have a few new problems. If that stupid crystal disappeared thousands of years ago, then how am I supposed to find it?' Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

**Dream sequence:**

His powers were less aggravated since his light side had grown in power. Pain still passed through his body as the two sides faced off against each other. It was more of a twinge, really. A bright green light forced the sides into a stalemate.

When the light faded Jak found himself running through a rocky out cropping in a cave. He didn't know what it was but he could tell something was very wrong. He kept running until he saw something lying on the ground. His bad feeling intensified ten fold as he closed in on it.

Jak's breathing stopped and his heart skipped a beat when he saw what was on the ground before him. It was Colle lying in a pool of her own blood. Jak quickly gathered her into his arms. What happened?

Blood was seeping out of cuts and gashes all over Colle's body. Jak tried to find a pulse. I was very weak and getting weaker. His heart felt as if it would burst from the pain within himself. She was dying.

Jak thought of an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was all he could do. Releasing the powers inside, Jak tried to use the light ability of healing to close Colle's wounds. It had no effect. Colle's heartbeat and breathing were slowing. Then she disappeared. Jak was left alone covered in blood with tears streaming down his face.

End Dream Sequence:

Jak woke up early the next morning in a cold sweat and the pain still fresh in his heart.

"What was that?" He asked himself as he got out of bed. The dream had unnerved him so that he decided not to return to sleep. Instead, he went to his small kitchen area. The left over yakow meat was still sitting on the counter from the night before.

After eating what he could to settle his nerves, Jak headed for the gun course. Sure it was a little out of the way, but it was a good place to think. That and shoot the heck out of anything that moved. One thing stayed on his mind as he headed out the door, 'Is something going to happen to Colle?' Or was it just a dream from eating old meat?

This new apartment was huge. It contained two bedrooms, one for her and one for Zack; a kitchen area, bookshelves with numerous books and a large round table with a light over it. A couch was sitting in front of a window that faced the ocean. A few posters covered the walls. Over all, Colle liked it. The monks had even stocked the cupboards with a weeks supply of food. With food in her stomach, Colle went to bed.

Dream Sequence 2:

Growls and the sound of claws scraping against something filled Colle's ears. Opening her eyes told her what the noises were and 'what' they belonged to. Creatures twice the size of her surrounded her. They were scaled from horned head to clawed toe.

The creatures before her looked like something out of a nightmare. The blood red eyes alone looked ready to kill. Saliva dripped from their gapping mouths. Colle wondered how she was still alive when she was surrounded by so many creatures that apparently wanted to kill her. Looking closer she noticed a faint blues veil between her and the beasts. It was a shield.

Colle looked around franticly searching for some way out. The shield was weakening with every blow that was thrown at it. She noticed Zack was sitting right next to her. Horror was masked over his face as he turned to look at something. Colle turned too. Jak was lying in front of her with a gapping slash in his side.

Fear ran through her Colle's heart and mind. She was no longer concerned about the enemy surrounding her. She gently shook Jak to see if he would open his eyes. There was no reaction. Tears began to creep down the girl's cheeks. Something inside her snapped like when you do something you know has to get done without realizing it. With tears still crying, Colle used every bit of hope to try and heal Jak with his own energy.

End Dream Sequence:

Colle woke up hours later with dried tears on her face. She looked out the window of her bedroom. Seeing it was still dark, she guessed it was early morning.

Stepping onto the cold stone floor, Colle went a head and got ready for the day to come. Today was the day Jak was going to start her training. Colle gathered some of the clothing that had been left for her by the monks and headed for the bathroom to take a nice hot shower. All the while wondering if Jak was alright. The last time something like this had happened, Jak had been in trouble. The only difference was that both Zack and herself were with him. 'It must have only been a dream.'

Minutes later Colle emerged from the bathroom. She had chosen a comfortable outfit for her first day of training. The shirt was a pale green and the pants were loose fit, light brown cargos. The monks had good taste which was a little strange considering they were mostly male.

The eighteen year old girl walked into the room with the kitchen. Silence greeted her when she took a seat on the couch. She began to miss being home and all of its familiar faces and places. One thing she could do without was Jeremy, that was a given. She missed Zack and hoped he would be all right where ever he was. With the silence beginning to overpower her, Colle slipped on her sandals and walked out the door.

The early morning air was crisp and cool, but with her sleeveless shirt it felt refreshing. She walked the streets of Spargus until she came to the shoreline of rocks. The sun had begun its usual trek across the sky as it broke over the horizon. It was so peaceful.

Colle stood at the water's edge a few minutes longer. If Jak wasn't up yet he soon would be. The girl decided not to wait for him to come get her, but she went to the city instead. Colle headed for the transport.

Haven's light were just beginning to flicker off. It's citizens were just beginning to stir out of slumber. Colle walked trough the port realizing she didn't know where to go. She didn't know where Jak lived. But Daxter would.

The Naughty Ottsel was lit up with the giant statue of Daxter on it's roof. The doors were unlocked so Colle walked in. Instead of Daxter, she found Tess at the bar.

"Hey, Tess. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find Jak would you?"

"You must be Colle. I've heard a lot about you. I'm so sorry about your younger brother." Tess hadn't met with Colle before. The only other time the elf had been here was that day she had gone to Haven Forest to meet with Onin. She had gone straight to bed upon her arrival, so Tess hadn't had a chance to greet her.

Well, if you're looking for Jak he should be at the gun course with Daxter. He's been going there a lot these days."

"Thanks. I'll see you later, Tess." Colle walked through the automatic doors and made her way to the gun course. It wasn't far. As she neared her destination, she heard gun shots. 'It must be Jak.'

"It's weird, Dax. I can't get her out of my head. Especially after that dream. What if it comes true?" Jak looked as if he had gone through the course five times as Colle peered through the open door. Both Jak's and Daxter's backs were to her.

"The truth is, I don't know, Jak." Daxter knew his friend was having trouble with this and acted serious for one of his 'very' few moments. "You'll just have to protect her. You're strong, I'll admit, but you can't do everything."

"I couldn't even concentrate in there." He waved his gun towards the challenge. "What am I supposed to do when the enemies are real?"

Daxter's serious moment was over. He had on his usual furry smile as he looked at his best friend. "You've got it bad, Jak."

"What?" He knew he wasn't gonna like what Daxter was up to. Things never turned out to good when he had that glint in his eye.

"You like her."

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid. Colle. You like her." Daxter jumped onto Jak's shoulder.

"I don't think so." He said disbelievingly. "I've only known her for a week. Besides, I love Ashelin. I care about her. She understands what kind of things I go through..."

Colle backed away from the door and leaned against the building. She was a little hurt even though there wasn't a reason for it. She couldn't expect Jak to like her. When she realized she was feeling sorry for herself, Colle brought herself back to reality. Remembering she had training to do. She headed for the door again. It was time to get serious.

"Whatever you say, Jak. Just let me know when you've changed your mind." Daxter finished just as Colle walked through the door. "Speak of the devil. We were just talking about you." He shut his mouth when he got a look from Jak.

"Really? I hope it wasn't anything bad." She was playing stupid. It would be smart to not let them know she had been listening in on their conversation. It might not go over too well.

"Why are you here? You were supposed to wait back in Spargus until later."

"I couldn't sleep." Colle walked over to the guns on the wall. They looked similar to Jak's morph gun, but a few others looked completely different. They were sleeker and not as bulky. "I thought we could start my training early."

"I guess that's not too bad of an idea." Jak walked over to the wall where Colle was looking at the guns. "And since you're here, we can run through the gun training." He reached up with one hand to grab one of the morph gun look a-likes, and handed it to Colle. "You can start with this."

"You have got to be joking." The gun weighted at least ten pounds. Not only would she have to carry it but the ammo as well.

"This is the earlier model of the morph gun. It only has two conversions: the scatter gun and the blaster. You'll learn to use the scatter gun first." He threw some ammo at her and held back a laugh when she almost dropped the gun to catch them.

Colle had gone through the course twice while only hitting a few targets and even more citizens, before Jak voluntarily showed her how to hold the gun and shoot the scatter gun to have it be more effective.

For hours Colle continuously passed through the course until the sun finally seeped through the only window. Each time she had gotten better and a higher score. It became tiring soon enough. After another hour or so of practice and a breakfast at the Naughty Ottsel, Jak thought it a good idea for some hand-to-hand combat for a change. They headed to Haven Forest.

For three days Colle received training in guns and hand-to-hand. Each day improving in skill and strength. Torn hadn't given Jak a single mission in almost a week. Things seemed to have grown quiet.

"You're late." Colle had been waiting at the Naughty Ottsel for almost an hour. She was beginning to worry. She had heard of the recent disappearances. Two more people, who where former Krimson Guard members and current Freedom League fighters, had been reported missing as of yesterday. In the past three months twenty people had gone missing without a trace. Colle had been relieved to see Jak walk through the door.

"I had to make a quick stop at HQ and the power station." Jak sat next to Colle at the bar. He didn't look at all happy. "I was just talking to Vin. I had him scan the entire area even the wastelands." He talked lower so the citizens in the booths wouldn't over hear him. Ever since the last war the Naughty Ottsel had become more popular.

"During the last war, a large group of metal heads had built a nest outside the walls of Spargus. It seems that something ran off the remaining ones. There is something in that cavern that is giving off a high eco reading."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Speaking in equally hushed tones.

"I told Vin what happened to your brother and that we needed to find the ones took him. That's when he did the scan. I believe Zack isn't as far away as we think he is."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Colle's voice rose causing the near by customers to turn their heads. "Let's go!"

"Shhh. The people here aren't too big on having another war. We're only just recovered from the last one. If they find out we're about to start another one, there might be an uprising. And that is something I don't need right now." Jak stopped talking quietly. He needed to gain the people's trust and a war wasn't the way to go. That had been Baron Praxis's downfall.

"Sorry." She spoke softly again. "Then what are we waiting for? The sooner we leave the sooner Zack will be safe here with us."

"There is 'we' in this. You're not going. I'm leaving tomorrow to go on recon."

"You said I could go with you when we get Zack. I won't be left behind." She was getting angry. He had promised her.

"It's only recon. We don't even know if he's there or not. You can come when I find out if he's there. You still need more training. A gun can't always protect no matter how good you are." Jak knew she was stubborn. He had learned that when he had seen her in the desert.

"I beat you in our last sparring match, remember?" A smile spread across her face. She was going with him one way or another.

"It was a technicality. My comm. had gone off. I had to answer it."

"Call it what you want, but if I recall it was you that told me a few days ago not to let anything distract you when you fight. Distractions could get you killed."

"You're not going. That's the end of it." Jak crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Okay. Whatever you say." Colle had given up.

Jak sat thinking to himself. 'That was too easy. She's up to something.' He looked at her trying to figure out what she was planning.

"Sheesh. You two fight like an old married couple." Daxter walked over to them after running off another debt collector, saying how grateful the city should be to him for saving them twice.

"So, uh, when do we get back to training?" Colle's cheeks were a little pink, something the little orange rodent didn't miss.

Training had resumed later that morning. The sun was bright and hung in the cloudless sky giving perfect conditions. Colle had learned the basics of fighting and Jak was showing her some of the more complex moves when he decided to call it a day. It was getting dark.

The rest of the evening had remained uneventful. Still no missions from Torn or anyone else. Things were awfully quiet in Haven City. That never lasted for too long.

When it became dark, Colle returned to Spargus with her empty apartment and Jak to his in the New Haven area of the city. Jak would be leaving first thing in the morning and be gone a little over a day.

Early the next morning, Jak arrived at the wastelands. He entered the gates of Spargus and chose his vehicle. The Sand Shark. It wasn't as fast as the Sand Screamer, but it did have more fire power.

Jak threw his bag into the passenger seat and yawned before getting in himself. The morning air had a chill to it that woke him up as soon as the doors opened again. He turned toward the door and was about to go through when he felt a sudden jolt in the Sand Shark. Jak jerked around and saw Colle sitting in the passenger seat holding his bag.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jak knew she wouldn't let him go without her. She was so stubborn.

"I want to come too. I told you I won't get in the way. I'll stay out of sight. Isn't that what you do on recon. missions?" Colle got situated and smiled.

"Well, yeah." He wasn't going to win.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Fine. You can go, but not a word." The sand shark pulled out into the gentle breeze of the desert. Jak drove over the dunes until the old metal head nest came into sight.

Down into the cave and through the tunnel; Jak and Colle traveled into the new enemy's strong hold. Coming to an opening Jak got out and motioned for Colle to do the same.

After crossing down a bridge and through a chamber filled with training what would seem like precursors, the two stopped. They looked out from behind a tall stalagmite to watch the new enemy. Scales covered most of their short bodies. Only small patches of orange fur could distinctly give away that they had once been Precursors. That and the tail and ears was a give away too.

Anger ran through Colle as she looked below her at the scalely ottsels. They're the ones who took Zack aren't they?" She didn't have to ask, she knew they were the ones. "That means he's here. We have to find him."

The old Colle was slowly emerging. Jak had noticed when he had been teaching her to defend herself that she had gained more self confidence and she had become less afraid. There had no longer been a look of fear in her eyes.

The fear was returning, gradually fading back. She was scared for her brother. Something could have happened to him. Jak could only hope that he was alive. He didn't know how he would deal with Colle if he wasn't.

Staying seconds longer, they continued on until they reached a corridor with many sub-tunnels. Jak chose the closest one.

"I don't think we should go that way."

"Why not?" One way was as good as any other, wasn't it?

"Because, something isn't right about it. I think we should go this way." She pointed to the farthest tunnel. "It feels...familiar. I know it's weird, but could you just trust me on this one?"

"Let's go then." Jak took the lead once more ready for anything. Colle had been acting strange all morning. The young elf thought somehow it had something to do with her unknown powers. 'They're starting to awake.' That could have been good or bad.

Colle wanted to know what her feeling was. The closer she came to the source the more she knew it somehow. She kept her eyes on the way a head of her and listened for anything from behind. There was a whole army behind them. They weren't exactly in the safest place.

Turning a corner the two found themselves outside of a dimly lit room. Inside were two of the Rosrucerps they had seen earlier. They were standing guard over something shinning blue in the middle of the room. On the other side of the room was another door way.

Jak told Colle to take out the one on the right while he got the left. She raised her gun and took aim, but didn't fire. They were living creatures and she was supposed to kill them. She didn't want to become a murderer. No matter how much she hated something, she couldn't take its life.

"What's wrong?" She had just been standing there. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew. She was too soft hearted. That was unusual for the people of Haven and Spargus, though she wasn't from this world. "You shouldn't have come."

"I'm sorry." She lowered the gun and turned away as Jak took care of the two Rosrucerps. She flinched with each gun shot remembering what had happened to Zack. Her eyes began to burn. 'I won't cry. This isn't the time or place for it.' She closed her eyes until she was back in control again. Turning around, she found Jak waiting for her with a strange look on his face. I was one of pity. He felt sorry for her, but was trying to hide it. "Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't look at me like that. These are my problems not yours." When Jak said nothing, Colle spoke again. "Can we get moving?"

They walked into the room with the brightly glowing object. Colle kept her gaze on Jak not wanting to see the two bodies lying on the floor. The glowing stone soon caught her interest. When Jak stopped to look around the room she walked around him and to the pedestal. Reaching out to touch she wished she hadn't done so. The stone called for her. When her fingers touched its blue surface electricity filled the room and wrapped itself around the girl touching it.

Jak had felt something pop the moment Colle had touched the rock. The charge circled the room and zapped Jak's arm with it going numb almost instantly. He looked over to Colle and quickly ran to her. Jak tried to pull her away but was thrown back as soon as he touched her. He couldn't go near her without getting zapped himself.

She was shocked constantly as she tried her hardest to pull away and not to scream. Her fingers felt like they were glued to the stone's surface and if she screamed, every one of those creatures would be after them fangs and claws bared.

It was excruciating. She just wanted it to end. At that moment she didn't care about anything else.

An agonizing scream filled the air until it reached the ears of the training Rosrucerps. They stopped immediately and turned in the direction from which it had come. There was an intruder.

Jak could only guess at what Colle was feeling. With his mind racing to find a way to get her away fro the stone, he heard a noise from the tunnel behind him. "We have to get out of here, now!"

Colle could no longer stand the power that the stone had sent coursing through her. Her voice was cracking as she lost consciousness. Before she had faded completely, she felt a warmth surround her. The pain faded with the electricity of the stone. With nothing to support her she fell.

Jak caught the teen age girl before hitting the ground and lifted her in his arms. He made his way to the door on the other side of the room before he heard the growls drawing closer.

Creatures rushed into the room of the blue stone. One of the beasts growled out, "They're after it. Don't let them live."

Jak only took one look behind him. He had expected to find the same creatures he had glimpsed earlier but was surprised to find something else. Instead of the two foot tall scalely ottsels, he saw eight foot tall giant behemoths.


	11. Chapter 10: True Feelings part 2

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer: **The only things I own of this story are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** Welcome to the second part of chapter 10. It is nowhere near as long as the first part.

**Jak:** That's a relief.

**Sushi**: When did you get here?

**Jak:** I'm not here, you're just hallucinating.

**Sushi:** Okay. I'll keep taking to myself while you guys read on. Enjoy.

**

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Chapter 10: True Feelings part 2**

"Hey, wake up, kid." Ewitz tapped the little boy on the shoulder until he opened his eyes.

"What is it?" Zack rubbed his eyes.

"We have to leave. The armies had been alerted of intruders. This is your chance." Ewitz opened the cell door completely. It allowed Zack to leave his prison for over a week.

"Do you know who it is?" He thought maybe he would finally be rescued.

"Only one. The girl you said was your sister. The other is a strong warrior." Ewitz kept look as he guided the child through the deeper part of the nest. He was fond of this child and would see it to the end that he was safe.

"The plan has changed. I'll get you to your sister and lead you out. I'll do all I can to make sure you get out of this alive. This is the last time we'll see each other, I think." There was no point in giving the child false hope. Ewitz would die for his betrayal.

"I thought you were coming with me." Zack stopped.

"I can't. It would only put you in more danger. You would be easier to find because of me. Especially when they have your sister."

"They won't get her. Jak'll protect her." Zack didn't understand why his friend wouldn't be coming with him. He then thought of a way to get him to come. "Fine. If you're not going, I'm not either." Zack took off down one of the side corridors away from Ewitz.

"Zack, come back here!." Ewitz chased after him. If the boy ran into another Rosrucerp, then they would both be killed. Zack for trying to escape and himself for having let Zack escape.

Jak held onto Colle as he hid from the transformed Rosrucerps. The girl was beginning to stir in his arms. When a group of Rosrucs passed by him he checked to see if the coast was clear. When nothing was in sight, he ran in the opposite direction. Colle opened her eyes.

"Where are we going?" She noticed she was being carried.

"We're getting out of here." He searched for any way that he thought would lead to the exit.

"What about Zack?" She struggled to get down. "We can't leave him."

"I'll come back for him later. I shouldn't have let you come." He turned down a corridor the slopped up. Hopefully leading outside.

"I'm fine and I'm not leaving without him." She meant it this time. She would stay until she found him. Jak wouldn't be able to stop her.

"Alright but we have to hurry." He didn't feel that this was the time to argue.

Colle lead the way as she searched franticly down every tunnel, every room, and behind every out cropping of rock. She began to lose hope when she heard something from close by. It sounded like crying. She followed her ears and found the one person she had wanted to see in the past twelve days than anyone else. Zack was sitting in a small recess in the rocks curled in a ball.

"Zack!" She hurried over to him and threw her arms around him before he even knew what was happening.

"Sis?" Zack wrapped his arms around his older sister as tight as he could hopping it wasn't one of his dreams again. When she didn't disappear, he lessened his grip.

"Sorry to interrupt this little reunion, but you might want to get out of here now." Standing next to Jak and out of breath was an untransformed Rosrucerp. Jak drew his gun and was about to fire when Zack stopped him.

"Don't. He's my friend." Zack moved away from his sister and stood in front of Jak. "He's a good guy. His name is Ewitz." Zack stood next to the creature that was almost as tall as him

"Then he can tell us how to get out of this place." Jak lowered his gun, but only a fraction. Just because a kid vouched for him didn't mean this thing had earned Jak's trust.

"Follow me. I'll take you to the closest exit." He was off.

The four of them raced through the maze of tunnels until they reached the main chamber. They had been trapped. About thirty or so giant rosrucs blocked their way out and more were arriving from behind. This apparently was something the 'friendly' rosruc hadn't counted on.

"Now what are we going to do?" Colle grabbed Zack and pulled him close enough to shield him from view.

"You're going to let me handle this." Jak handed his gun to Colle and summoned all of his dark eco to come forth. Soon his skin lost its color and his hair grew lighter. Jak's eyes lost all thought of emotional feeling except for the desire to kill and shed blood. Around him was the best thing to start a killing spree. Almost fifty transformed rosrucs had shown to fight and they were going to get one.

"Stay back." Dark Jak growled ask he readied his claws for the massacre. Gathering much of the dark eco within him Jak unleashed a powerful dark blast over the surrounding area. Over the last two years Jak had learned to control his attacks to the 't'. He could make it go where he wanted it when he wanted it, so he was able to keep the energy away from the others.

With his attack complete, much of the front had been whipped out. Over half of the enemies gathered had fallen. Unfortunately more were arriving in minutes. Jak didn't have the energy for this. Swiping at a few more Jak transformed back into his original self.

"I don't like this. My blast should have taken out more than that."

"You used dark eco. We have resistance to all eco, but when presented in large quantities, nothing can survive. You blast got weaker as it moved over the ground. That's why it didn't work." Ewitz spoke.

"You could have said something earlier." The giant rosrucs closed in on the small group. Some growling out traitor. Jak knew they were talking about Ewitz and so did Zack. Zack being the youngest knew quiet well what was about to happen. They weren't getting out of this alive.

Without a word Colle threw Jak his gun and got herself ready to fight. She wasn't going to die here not when she had just found her brother. She took am with the scatter gun at the nearest bunch of rosrucs.

Jak was amazed by the determination of the girl at his side. She would go to any length to protect her family. Now though, she would be able to do something, now she had the training. Jak admired her for the strength she was showing at the face of death. Earlier she had been afraid to kill but now it didn't matter.

Standing there thinking and waiting for the inevitable, Jak realized that Daxter had been right. He did like Colle. He cared about her to a point that if anything happened to her he would die himself. His feelings for Ashelin had faded long ago. He cared about Colle so much that it might have been called love. Too bad he wouldn't live to get the chance to tell her. It was all about to end right here.

The ones in front attacked first and got blown away by both guns. It did nothing to phase the others however and they continued to attack. One of the larger beasts had come so close as to swipe at Jak from the side. Colle shot him off before Jak had been killed, but the damage had already been done. A large slash mark went from the top of Jak's rib cage and down his side. Neither Colle nor Jak could stop fighting long enough to treat their injuries fro risk of being torn to shreds.

The chamber along with its inhabitants began to swim across Jak's vision. The loss of blood was finally getting to him. He staggered around trying to keep his focus, which was almost impossible. Then two rosrucs decided to attack him at once from behind. Jak was unable to react quick enough. Ewitz dashed in front of the two beasts and took them out but at a high price.

With his training he had learned many moves the rosruc didn't know, but he didn't have nearly the strength of a transformed rosrucerp. Once he had taken out the two, another who had watched him, ran him through with nothing but his claws. Ewitz was dead before he had hit the ground.

Zack watched with horror filled eyes as his friend was struck and hit the floor. He tried to run to Ewitz but was stopped when a rosruc jumped in front of him. It would have hit him if it had not been for Jak. He had sent up a shield.

They were being overwhelmed. No matter how many went down, that many more took their place. Both Jak and Colle were exhausted. Colle had been lucky enough to escape with minor cuts while Jak was still suffering from blood loss and dizziness. Waves of pain arched across his body from head to toe. He was lucky to still be standing.

Colle had lowered her weapon when the veil of blue appeared before her. She turned just in time to see Jak as he feel to his knees. Less than a second later he fell to the ground unconscious. Running to him, the girl threw her gun away and checked to make sure he was okay.

Gently Colle shook Jak to get him to open his eyes. Jak had stopped moving. Almost every bit of his energy and strength had been spent. There wasn't even enough to heal himself with what little energy he did have.

The shield weakened faster as the transformed rosrucs pounded it repeatedly.

Again Colle tried to wake Jak up. They needed to get out. When nothing what Colle did seemed to work, tears slowly crept down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away but it was useless. She knew Jak hated to she her like this, but at this moment there appeared to be nothing she could do.

Deep down inside, something broke free. Colle knew what she needed to do without being told how to do it. As if some unknown force were controlling her, Colle leaned down toward Jak and gently placed her lips against his. As soon as they touched a blend of white, green, and blue light formed around them.

Zack watched as his sister kissed the injured elf not knowing what was happening. He was no longer scared about the monsters outside of the shield. He looked to his new friend, Ewitz as his body remained motionless on the other side of the barrier.

The light dimmed as Jak's wound healed. Colle had unlocked her powers to save Jak. She used what she could of her energy to give strength back to him. When she pulled away from Jak she opened her eyes to see him having barely opened his. The whole thing would have been embarrassing had it not been for the situation.

Out of energy herself, she passed out and fell forward. Jak caught her and realized he was no longer hurting. Jak placed the girl on the ground near her brother and immediately shifted to Dark Jak. He knew what he needed to do because as soon as he had changed, the veil of light vanished.

Unleashing his second dark bomb but not width-holding his energy, Jak cleared a way towards the exit. Without hesitation, Dark Jak grabbed Zack and placed him on his back and picked up Colle. As fast as he could he ran through the main entrance and down the tunnel. Returning to normal, Jak placed both into the Sand Shark and got into the driver's seat.

When seeing the rosrucs pursuing them, the Shark opened fire as Jar floored it in reverse. Once out in the cool air of the desert evening, Jak turned around and headed for the city. If anything was following him he would take care of it then, when he had some help. Arriving at the gates to Spargus, he found nothing behind them. They had given up. The three of them were safe for the moment.

Colle got up the next afternoon. Zack was pouring water into a bowl. She had apparently startled him for he almost dropped the pitcher. A smile brightened the child's face as soon as he saw his big sister. She was okay.

"You're awake!" He jumped at her with his arms around her neck. "You've been sleeping for so long." He held on tighter.

"I'm so glad your safe." She hugged him back. "I've been so worried about you. But you're safe now." Flashes what had happened came to her mind. She remembered they had fought so many of those horrible scaled giants. She had killed many herself. At the thought of having killed something like that made her skin crawl. She remembered Jak had been hurt badly. That was all she could recall at the moment.

"Where's Jak?" She wanted to know if he was all right. She looked around the room; he wasn't there. Without asking again, Colle ran into the next room ignoring Zack when he tried to make her stay in bed. This room was empty as well. There were other rooms in her apartment. She checked each of them. Turing to Zack who was following her, she asked again. "Where is he, Zack?"

"He's ou-." As the child answered, the one being sought came through the front door. He was carrying his bag with what looked like food in it. He smiled when he saw the two of them.

"Glad you're awake." Jak didn't even have enough time to put his bag down before Colle ran into him hugging and crying on him. "What?"

"I thought you had died. You had been hurt so badly. And you wouldn't wake up." She stood there and cried until she no longer could.

"You were the one who saved me, remember?" He whispered. Jak held the quiet girl in his arms. He rubbed the back of her head while she tried to calm down. "You healed me."

A realization formed in her brain as she thought of the events of the day before. Heat came to her face and red to her cheeks when she had fully remembered all the had gone on. She had kissed him. Did he hate her for it? Colle backed away from Jak slightly and looked at his face. It held, not a look of hate or dislike, but a look of caring and comfort.

Zack knew what was going to happen. He smiled wide and left the room. They could be alone for now.

Jak looked into Colle's eyes and once again saw fear, but for the first time he also saw hope reflected in them. Her green eyes were sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. For the first time he realized how beautiful she was. He made a vow then and there that he would never let her be hurt by anyone ever again.

He leaned forward and down to the girl in his arms and she came up to meet him. In the background, Jak's comm. was going off but neither seemed to hear nor care.

Colle felt safe when she was with him. There wasn't anything she wasn't capable of doing when he was around. She wanted to stay with him.

Right before the two of them kissed, the comm. broke in. Torn spoke harshly and quickly. "Jak, I know you can here me. I need you to get back here. Ashelin's gone missing."

When Jak heard the last part he pulled away from Colle and grabbed the comm. out of his back pack. "What did you say?" His voice was filled with concern.

"She's gone, Jak."

"I'll be right there." Without a second thought, Jak grabbed his bag but stopped before leaving. He looked back at Colle. "Are you coming or not?"

"Ye-yeah." After getting her things and Zack ready to return to Haven, she joined Jak at the door. During this she had time to regain her composer. Jak had almost kissed her, but with the mention of Ashelin he was leaving. He still loved her, but that didn't mean Colle was out just yet. He had almost kissed her. That had to count for something. "Let's go."

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**Sushi:** How was is?

**Jak:** You'll have to wait and see.

**Sushi**: Review soon.


	12. Chapter 11: What Training?

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** I have finally finished chapter 10! It took me two weeks to write it and then have it all typed. Right now I'm having a prom issue. I really want to go but have yet to ask my mom. It's not cheap either. Enough chatting about my little life, on with the story. There have been many changes to this from the original.

(A/N: This chapter and the next will be almost without action, there will be a summary at the end of each chapter after chapter twelve gining some insight of the chapters to come.)

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**Chapter 11: What Training?**

The next two days passed by solomly. Jak had gotten down in the dumps once the fact that Ashelin was missing finally sunk in. He spent hours either with Vin talking of the possible places she could be or arguing with Torn over the slightest thing.

One afternoon Jak made a visit to HQ in the New Haven area of the city. Colle had gone with him. Jak looked over the same map again and again until he heard a conversation over near where Colle had been sitting. It was stupid really to be listening to them when he should have been looking for Ashelin.

"You must be the distraction I keep hearing about from Torn." A woman with short dark red hair walked over and stood looking down at Colle. She was smiling meaning she hadn't been trying to be mean when speaking.

"I suppose you're right. My name's Colle." She had left Zack with Daxter at the Naughty Ottsel. He had wanted to stay there. He said it got boring just sitting all day. Standing up she held out her hand.

"Name's Mora. I suppose I also have you to thank for all of the extra assignments I've recieved. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. I kind of enjoyed them." Seeing the guilty look on the young girls face. "Torn had been training me himself and he told me that the best way to get stronger is to fight your enemies and learn from them. I see you've also been getting some lessons."

"I have. I'm really not too good at the whole hand-to-hand thing. I fight better with a gun." Colle hadn't left her morph gun anywhere since the incident at the rosrucerps' hide out.

"You won't always have a gun around to protect you. You need to learn to fight." Mora seemed to be thinking of something. "I know, why don't you train with me for a day. You can bring glow boy over there. It's not heathly to stand around looking at maps and computers all hours of the day. What do you say?"

"That would be great. I'll go ask Jak if he wants to come." Colle hadn't been around another woman in over two weeks. Not that she didn't like Jak or her little brother, she cared about them greatly, but things just got old after awhile. Now she could have someone to talk to other than Jak. Whom of which was still hovering over the same map. "Jak?"

"Hmmm?" Not really paying attention any more.

"You want to come with us? We're going outside. I would be good for you to get some freash air."

"I'm fine. You go on ahead. I have to keep looking." He replyed in a hollow voice.

"No you're not. You've hardly slept and you haven't eatten a thing. You're going to make yourself sick and then you won't be of any use to Ashelin. You're coming with us." It was now her turn to feel bad for him, though she was much better at hiding it than he was. "Listen, I'll help you find her. I'll even help you find this Precursor Stone you're looking for, but right now you need to take care of yourself."

"Thanks." That was all he said as he left with the two of then and headed for the Naughty Ottsel to pick up Zack and Daxter. Then they all went to Haven Forest.

Training continued for hours until Colle could no longer stand it.

"I have to rest. I don't know how you two can go for so long." Sitting down on the brick wall that surrounded the large tree of the forest.

"You're just not in shape." Jak replied smiling to himself. The fresh air had done wonders for him. His mood had grown better. In the back of his mind, though, something was telling him to not flurt with this girl he had his own priorities and they were telling him to go find Ashelin.

"I'll have you know that I'm in great shape. Back home I'd walk for two hours everyday." She said matter-of-factly. Meanwhile Mora and Daxter were sitting away from the two as they took their own break. Zack was off somewhere playing on Jak's jet board.

"I have a question." Mora whispered to the ottsel. "Do those two, you know, like eachother or something?"

"Yeah, but they're both too stubburn to see for themselves. They would never admit it." Daxter guessed something had happened between the two of them, but either were too afraid to talk about it or they were unsure themselves what evactly was going on. He on the other hand knew better than anyone. Jak had never been this involved. He hardly ever said more than a few words to anybody. This girl that they had found in the middle of the desert had changed all of that.

Back to the 'arguing' couple, they hadn't gotten much farther. "If you call getting into shape sitting on your butt all the time playing this so called game of yours them I'm sure you're the healthiest person alive."

"I only play those games for a reason, remember?"

"Reasons that you no longer have to worry about." Jak had become somewhat protective of this girl's feelings over the time he had gotten to know her. He knew now that with her brother back, Colle would be able to live her life the way it was meant to be lived. He would see to that himself.

With Jak's last comment, Colle thought of something she hadn't realised. 'What if I do have to go back home? What's going to happen then?'

"This is rediculous." Jak looked through his things hoping to find his communicator.

"What?" Colle had gone to get water at the lake.

"My communicator. I had some questions for Vin. It seems that everytime I need time to relaxe everything's in chaos. When I have time to relaxe, I have to do something."

"Funny how things work out isn't it?"

"It's histarical." Jak couldn't help himself from laughing a little. This girl had done something to him. He smiled more with her around and he enjoyed himself more. He then realized he had been stairing at her. Jak turned away and tried to think of something else. He couldn't like this girl when he was in love with Ashelin.

Colle noticed but said nothing of it. She had a small smile on her lips. She realised Jak was a little embarassed and changed the topic for his benifit. "How are we going to get Zack? We don't even know where to look."

"We'll have some help. Vin can find anything anywhere." Jak relaxed. He unpacked everyone's lunch and started eating.

"Did you notice that it has gotten quiet?"

"Now that you mention it, where are Dax and Zack?" Jak asked while swollowing bread.

"I don't know." Colle ate her lunch, but somwthing was eating at the back of her mind. Daxter was up to something and he had an acomplise. She looked over at Mora sitting under the tree a few feet away. She was talking on her comm. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this." She whispered to Jak.

"Hey, guys. Torn just called. I have to go." Mora turned off her comm. and shuved it in her pocket.

"It was nice to meet you, Mora. By the way, have you seen Daxter anywhere?" When Colle asked, she noticed Mora's eyes. She looked as if she was going to start laughing. What in the world was going on with these people!

"Nope. Haven't got a clue where he is. Anyway, I've got to go." She walked arround the cornor and was gone.

"That was weird, did you see-? Where did this come from?" Jak found his comm. It was lying right beside him. It wasn't there a second ago.

"Do you have the feeling that we're about to be the fools of some big joke?" Colle looked around her becoming more paranoid by the second.

"Yep." It was as simple as that.

Mora snuck through the bushes and trees to meet up with Daxter. It was now or never. This would bring the two 'love birds' out in the open. She couldn't wait. Now all she had to do was find Daxter then the plan would be in motion.

"Over here." Daxter stepped out of the bushes with Zack close behind.

"What's the plan?"

"It's already in action." Daxter had an unnearvingly confident grin on his furry face.

"That was quick. What do I do?"

"Sit back and enjoy the show. It should be starting shortly." Seconds later a rumble passed through the ground. One the cliff's edge not far from where they were, rocks crumbeled to the forest floor below. "That should get their attention." Something then happened that Daxter hadn't meant to. Metal heads began to crawl into Haven Forest. "That wasn't part of the plan."

Five grunt metal heads crawled over the fallen rubble. They weren't your ordinary metal heads. Spikes protruded from their backs. Their eyes were glowing a bright red. The first one walked toward the two under the large tree.

Jak stepped forward. He could handel them easily. He stepped forward ready for the fight to come.

"Wait." Colle placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "I want a try. It looks like they only want to fight one on one." She was right. The other four kept back when one walked forward from the others.

"No. You haven't had enough practice. Those things could rip you apart."

"How did 'you' become a good fighter? You fought off enemies. If you don't let me do this now, then how am I supposed to get any better?" Anger was begining to show in her eyes.

"I didn't have anyone to show me how to do anything. All I had was something worth fighting for. That kept me alive all these years." As soon as he said that he wished that he hadn't.

"You had something worth fighting for? You think revenge is more important than trying to protect someone you care about?" Colle wanted to hit something. Jak could be so heartless! Colle turned back to the grunts. They had been watching the two of them the whole time. Since when did metal heads fight fairly? "This is mine. If you interfear then I'm through. I'm leaving, I'll find that Precursor Stone on my own."

"Colle, you're being reckless! You could be killed." Jak couldn't stand this. Why did she have to be so stubborn! Jak took out his Vulcan Fury and loaded it quickly. He wasn't going to let Colle take them alone. Even he had help at soom point or another.

Colle remembered the moves she had learned earlier that day. One thing she liked about living in this world was that it's people were very flexable. It helped her a lot. She had yet to fight a real weapons free battle. She ran up to the first grunt. It was ready for her. Colle kicked it square in the face as it got ready to charge her. The grunt fell backwards.

Colle jumped out of the way when the grunt made another charge. This time she was able to get behind it. With a well placed spin kick the first grunt fell to the ground unmoving.

"See. It only takes practice. I can handel myself." She smirked at Jak taking her eyes from the remaining metal heads.

"Colle!" The other four metal heads jumped into battle. Jak took aim at one of them, but he couldn't fire. They were too close to Colle. He might miss and hit her. He wouldn't risk that.

"So much for fighting fairly!" Colle hit one of the grunts away from her. The other grunts surrounded her ready to pounce. Colle was unable to do anything right after she had attacked the grunt before. She didn't have any time to recover.

Jak took his chances with the Fury and fired at the metal heads. He was able to kill two of them before the got to Colle. He wasn't fast enough to get the other two.

The last two metal heads clawed at Colle. She screamed as one tried to dig it's claws into her arm. A gash formed across her lower arm were the claws had been. The other grunt swipped at her legs wanting to make her fall. Fortunatly, Jak came in and fought them off. The spikes on their back rubbing against the palm of his hand. Colle held her arm and watched as Jak finished off the final two grunts.

Jak looked at his hand from where the spikes had hit him. No real damage. Jak walked over to where Colle was sitting on the grass. "You okay?" He knelt down to look at her arm. When he touched her she pulled away.

"Stop it." She was ashamed. She thought she could take the weaker meatal heads. In the game it had looked so easy. She had humiliated herself infront of Jak. "You don't have to say anything." She sounded so misirable.

Jak sighed then sat down. "I know what's it's like. You want to go out and do things on your own."

"I should've listened to you. Now look at me." The burning feel of tears began to form at the edge of Colle's eyes. She wasn't going to cry. She had learned to deal with pain along time ago. The only thing hurt now was her pride. She would feel even worse if Jak saw her that way. It was bad enough now.

"Don't take it so hard. You didn't do half bad." Jak knew what she was going through for once. He had to learn to fight somehow and it wasn't easy.

"I was horrible. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I'm sorry." It was getting harder to keep from crying. Ashelin wouldn't have needed help. It was another reason why she would lose Jak to her.

"It's normal. It proves you have what it takes to be a better warrior." Jak tried again to look at Colle's arm. She moved her hand away from her injury. Two deep cuts came from her elbow almost all the way down to her wrist. They cuts were clean though and would heal easily enough.

"Realy?" She looked at Jak sencerly.

"Yeah. Look at me. I was like you once, it was back in Sandover. I was younger. With the increase in Lurkers people needed to know how to fight. It takes time, there isn't as much of a need for people to fight these days." Jak pulled out cloth from his bag and got it wet from the river. He cleaned Colle's wound an wrapped it in another cloth rag. "That should do it."

With the metal heads defeated and Colle's arm bandaged, Jak helped her up.

"You don't think their just gonna leave do you?" Zack asked Daxter. After all of that they had to do something more than just talk!

"Shhh." Both Daxter and Mora were still watching.

"I just wanted to be able to do something on my own for once." Colle helped Jak to pack their things away. That day's training was over, obvously. "I didn't want to have to rely on others."

"Sometimes you have to. It's just that simple." Once finished, Jak sat on the grass.

"I understand that now. Too bad I wouldn't listen, maybe I wouldn't have a useless arm right now." Pain still pulsed through her arm but she wasn't complaining. The two of them were having a decent conversation that didn't involve Jeremy or something from her past.

Jak let Colle talk. He listened with one ear but didn't realy comprihend what she was saying. He was thinking about what had gone through his mind while Colle fought the grunts. Why did he feel like this? What was wrong with him? He cared about Ashelin. He loved her. Didn't he?

"They're just sitting there! Do something!" Mora whispered to Daxter.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Just something." She was getting desprate. She loved playing match maker. She just hated when people didn't get a clue about eachother.

Colle saw that Jak was no longer paying attention to her and felt content to go over her thoughts. What did Jak think of her now? She was probably still getting in his way. She had almost gotten him killed. He had to save her again. 'He has other things he would rather be doing, I'm sure.'

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" This took Jak completely by surprise. She appoligised a lot.

"For not listening and always getting in the way. You have other things that are more important that you should be doing than to baby sit me all day." She was feeling bad again.

This was another thing Jak hated. Her self confidence had dwindeled to almost nothing after what happened.. She didn't beleive in herself enough. "You have nothing to appoligise for. I don't mind hanging around you. It makes things interseting."

Jak's face began to warm at the thought of what he was about to say to the girl. For some very strange reason, Jak had never NEVER been this nervous about anything before. Perhaps it was because when he was with Keira or Ashelin they never mentioned their feelings. They were together and that was how things were. "I enjoy being around you. If you left like you said you would I'd more than likely would go insaine." Things were getting really hard now. "I care about you."

"I worry about you too. You take so many risks that I pull my hair out because of it." Colle said more to Jak of her feelings than Jeremy would have heard in the two years they dated.

All of the feelings the two of them had for eachother rushed to the surface leaving them uterly confused. The feelings were new to Jak and Colle was finding it difficult to believe she was falling in love with a game character. Unable to determine what to do, they allowed their emotions to take over.

Jak took hold of Colle's uninjured arm and leaned forward. Colle closed the gap until their lips were touching in a gental but passionate kiss. Their feelings for one another flowed into this one kiss and into eachother. Seconds later they slowly pulled apart.

Realizing what had just happened Colle began to appologise. "I'm sor-" Jak kissed her once more to let her know everything was alright.

"Don't appologise anymore." He whispered when they pulled away again. "You don't have to."

Over in the near by bushes Daxter and Mora smiled at eachother. They watched as Jak held onto Colle waiting for Daxter to make his way back to them.

It had finaly happened. Jak and Colle were now officaly together. Hopefully they would admit to it later on. Mora was estatic. Now it was a certain ex-Krimson Guard's turn. This would be fun.

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**Sushi**: This was my first idea for chapter 10, then I decided to add something else and have Zack show up (Zack was still captured in the original version). That is how this chapter came out so quickly compaired to my others. Don't forget to review: tell me wahat was bad or good and what I could fix about it in later chapters. 


	13. Chapter 12: Things Happen

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but my original characters like Colle and Zack.

**Sushi:** Remember no review no chapter. I am very serious, but so far you've been good about that part.

**Jak:** The serious thing doesn't suit you.

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**_Important Note!_ **If I don't update when I'm supposed to please check my profile page. I **will** keep it updated! All in-progress reports will be listed. I will have how far along I am in the chapter and when I hope to post it and so on and so forth. Please keep this in mind and don't think that I've forgotten about you guys. You keep me writting! 

**Chapter 12: Things Happen...**

Earlier that morning Torn had called Jak on a mission saying Vin had found some strange eco readings. Jak headed toward the ruins of Dead town from which the readings were supposedly coming. He had let Colle sleep in this time. She hadn't been getting enough sleep lately.

The two of them trained together over the last four days. Colle had been learning to control her powers. Jak had tried to get her to read his thoughts but it turned out she could only read people's minds when the feelings were intense.

Dead town was a wreck. Everything about it just seemed to scream out that something was there. Strange noises called out in the distance as Jak walked among the rubble of his once beloved Sandover village. Memories came back to him.

Through all of his mingled thoughts Jak remembered why he was in this place to begin with. He was looking for eco. Vin had told Torn this had been one of the major readings similar to the old wasteland metal head nest. It could also be possible it held a clue to Ashelin's disappearance.

"Jak." Colle's voice rang through his ears.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you?" She sounded as if she had just woken up. "Torn just told me you were out looking for eco. Want any help?"

"No. I've got it under control. You just go back to sleep, okay?" The stars were still out and the sun had hours yet to go until it began its path across the sky.

"Well, okay." She passed with a yawn. "Call me when you're on your way back." The comm. shut off.

Jak rummaged through the rocks and other debris for a good hour before he spoke to himself, "Maybe it wouldn't have been a bad idea for Colle to come out here. At least we would've found the eco."

While searching, Jak's mind traveled back to the last few days. Zack had been saved and Colle was happier now than he had ever seen her. Of course that might also have had a little help from her and Jak's developing relationship.

Thinking of when he had kissed her, he than wished he hadn't. Both thought about it or kissed the teenage girl. Jak was still in love with Ashelin. That's why he was out here in the forsaken hours of the morning. He wanted to get her back. He had returned to the old metal head nest earlier that week only to find it completely empty.

The sound of footsteps moving through the water pulled him out of his reverie. Jak wiped around with his gun ready at incredible speed. There wasn't anything there. Turning back around slowly, Jak noticed a faint orange glowing coming from beyond a large mound of rubble.

Curiously, Jak climbed over the loose rocks until he was at the top. The orange-ish yellow light poured out from the cracks in the ground. As he moved closer he could feel that he wasn't alone.

An electrically charged purple beam came buzzing by Jak's face narrowly missing his nose. With his gun still out he turned to where the shot had come. Three juice goons and four metal jackets were moving up the rubble. They were different from normal ones, though. Armor now covered the jackets and the goons looked more sinister with longer claws and blood red eyes.

Jak tried both his blaster and vulcan fury modifications but was unable to even scratch the metal heads. They were too fast and had armor to protect them. He tried the peace maker and was able to take out a goon and two jackets until he ran out of his already low ammo. His arm was throbbing from the poison of a jacket that had gotten close enough to sting him.

With his gun useless, Jak began to transform himself. But something was holding him back. It felt as if lightning had arched through his body as his light and dark sides faced off. One second he was turning dark and the next he was spouting wings of light. He had hardly any control as the pain from their war passed through him.

Seeing their opportunity, the mutant metal heads readied for another attack. The two goons fired and the jackets waited for the dust to clear before moving in. They were disappointed.

A veil of blue light covered Jak as he still tried to control the eco flowing through his veins. The attacks had been deflected by the light shield while Jak had been in his dark form. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The light coming from the rocks was eco. If he could reach it he might stand a better chance of winning.

The four remaining metal heads chased their prey as he started to run away. He was heading towards the eco.

Jak was able to reach the glowing light before the metal heads were on him. Stepping into the yellow-ish light, the eco flowed into him mixing with both his own light and dark eco. Once he obtained the yellow eco he was able to take control of his warring sides. He transformed to Dark Jak and unleashed a new attack. Charging up the yellow mixed with dark he fired individually charged bombs at each of the metal heads. They fell within seconds.

The enemies fell and Jak returned to normal. It seemed as if the light and dark sides were content for the moment. All that was left from their fighting was a slight burning sensation in his hands.

He smiled to himself. He had a new power. When the rosrucs came out of hiding he would have a new trick to show them.

Jak later returned to Haven city going to HQ. Torn was marking all of the eco locations to be checked out later. Jak knew he was supposed to call Colle back. They were supposed to keep working on her powers. He just didn't want to. He had too many things on his mind.

"It was eco. Yellow." Jak walked into the main control room to fin Torn.

"Interesting. While you were out there, I had Vin pinpoint every eco opening close by. There are two, but they're weaker than the one you went to. They may be under ground." Torn never took his eyes from the map. He continued writing down the coordinates.

"You call that interesting? I just ran into a couple of metal heads. Something's happened to them. They've gotten stronger."

Torn stopped what he was going. "How can that be? We've wiped almost all of them out."

"Well, apparently the one's that we didn't get are stronger then before. This isn't going to be good." There was a silence. "I think they're trying to regroup. They're going to attack the city again and if that happens..."

"We won't win. Not if this new enemy continues to kidnap our soldiers." Torn looked as if he wanted to say something more but changed his mind.

"What?" Jak saw the look on his face.

"I lied to you about Ashelin." He sounded so guilty.

"About what?" He didn't like where this was going.

"There was blood at her post. We don't know if it was hers or not." He waited for the explosion he knew was coming.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" His rage was building. Not only was Ashelin gone now, but she was possibly injured or worse. He knew Ashelin could handle herself, but against this new enemy she wouldn't stand much of a chance. "Why didn't you tell me?" His voice rising.

"Because, I knew how you would react. If you want to get her back then you need to have a clear mind and that wouldn't have helped!"

"It would've just made me try harder! She would be back by now!" Jak started to head for the door.

"No, she wouldn't. I've looked everywhere. She isn't anywhere near here. All you need to worry about now is protecting that girl. Keep her from disappearing too." Torn knew he wouldn't get anywhere yelling. Jak was just as hardheaded as he was.

This seemed to have an effect on the young warrior. His temper cooled some what and he turned around. "You don't have to worry, she's safe." He wasn't sure what was going through his mind and took the eco locations and left Torn standing in the comm. room.

Jak headed for the Naughty Ottsel. He wanted to talk to Daxter. Not that he would know what Jak was going through but he could give suggestions.

There was the one person there that he didn't want to talk to right now. Colle and Zack were eating breakfast with Daxter and Tess. Jak walked over and sat next to Dax. "Can we talk?" He whispered as the two of them walked off without saying a word.

"Well that was rude. He could have at least said hello."

"He looked a little upset."

"How could you tell? He didn't even look at you?" He hadn't looked at anyone. What was up with him?

"He's like you are when you're mad. Maybe he's just not a morning person." Zack went back to eating.

'No.' Colle could tell something was going on. 'Something's bothering him.' She continued eating until Jak and Daxter returned.

"Good morning." Colle said cheerfully as soon as Jak sat down.

"Morning." Only a grumble was understandable when he put some food in his mouth. He seemed distant after his talk with Daxter.

Colle watched him wondering what was wrong. She caught a glimpse of his arm and froze. It was green and oozing. "What happened to your arm?"

"It's nothing." He went on eating like it was nothing.

"No it isn't." She reached out to touch it. He pulled away like she had burned him. It wasn't 'nothing.'

"Don't touch it." Jak hissed at her. Darkness flashed in his eyes but he quickly over came it.

"You have to get it looked at." What had gotten into him? Why was he acting like this? She reached out to grab his arm again.

"Just don't worry about it." Jak finished his meal quickly and headed for the door. "I'm going out for a while. See you guys later."

"What's his problem?" Zack said as he watched Colle. She looked slightly hurt at Jak's harshness.

"No, he just has a lot on his mind. He'll come back once he's able to think things through." Daxter got up to get the payment from one of his early morning customers. "He just doesn't understand others feelings too well. Don't worry about him."

Jak didn't show up until many hours later. He had spent his time at HQ again. He still didn't know what to do about Colle and Ashelin. And on top of it all now he felt bad about how he had snapped at Colle for worrying about him. But something else scared him. Even for the slightest second his dark side had flared up inside him at Colle. He didn't know why.

Colle had done her own training. She had spent much of her time in the gun course. Zack watched her until he got hungry. He complained until Colle finally went to Daxter's place.

Once there, Colle noticed Daxter acting strangely. As soon as the two had sat down Daxter looked over to them and left the room. What was everyone's problem today? Why was Jak so upset and why did Daxter like his life depended on it? Colle recalled Jak wanting to talk to Daxter alone. That must have been their big secret. But what was it?

Colle's curiosity was getting the better of her. Daxter knew something and for some odd reason she knew it had something to do with her. Waiting a few minutes until Zack had gotten his lunch, Colle got up and followed Daxter. The Naughty Ottsel wasn't a big place it wouldn't be hard to find the orange rat. Passing through a second door Colle found him climbing through a window.

"What do you think you're doing?" Colle walked up behind the ottsel and grabbed him by the tail. "You're not trying to leave are you?" She brought him up to eye level.

"Could you let me go? I think my tail's going to fall off." He wiggled trying to get free.

"Not until you tell me what's going on." He became still. "You and Jak had a conversation this morning. It was private."

"He didn't want anyone to overhear. It really wasn't important." Jak had told Daxter not to tell anyone. Colle was making it extremely difficult. The blood was rushing to his head making him dizzy.

"There wasn't anyone there but us. Who would overhear him? I can stand here all day, Daxter. All you have to do is tell me what's wrong with Jak and what it has to do with me." She waited a few minutes until he spoke.

"Fine." He waited for Colle to put him down. "You're right. It does have to do with you." He sighed. "But not completely."

"Then talk."

Daxter told Colle of what him and Jak had spoken of earlier. He watched Colle as her expression changed from one of irritation to slight embarrassment then to sadness.

"That's why he is the way he is. Jak's never been too good about expressing his feelings and wasn't too good at seeing it in others either. He's torn between his new feelings for you and his continued love for Ashelin. He thinks he shouldn't have kissed you. That it was a mistake."

Colle flinched when Daxter said that last part. Did Jak really think that? He was the one who had kissed her.

"You don't really have to worry though." Daxter could tell what he had said stung her but she needed to know the whole story not just bits and pieces. "Jak's confused, but he does care about you. He just needs to see that he cares more for you instead of Ashelin."

"Thanks, Daxter." Colle whispered. "I really wanted to know."

"Just one thing. Don't let Jak know I told you all of this. Okay?" Daxter jumped up onto Colle's shoulder. "He'd kill me."

"Deal." She smiled a weak smile and walked back into the main area of the saloon.

It took Jak most of the day and the evening to search each of the locations. He found nothing, not even the eco Vin had reported. When he was about to give up for the day, an unknown voice came through his comm. unit.

"Captain Jak, sir?" It must've been one of the old Krimson Guard members. After the Baron had died and the planet saved from the Dark Makers and Errol, those who had been under the Baron's rule had gotten word that Jak was the true heir to the throne. With his display of courage in the face of certain demise, Jak had slowly but surely gained their respect. The citizen's, however, weren't too keen on the idea of having a so called "eco freak" as their ruler.

"What is it?" Maybe some sort of clue had been found.

"I was told that you were to report to the Naughty Ottsel. Torn would have told you himself but he had other certain agendas to attain to." The soldier sounded uncertain of something.

"Did he happen to mention, why?"

"No, sir."

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Nothing had been found. If there had been something then he wouldn't have to go half-way across the city just to find out what it was.

With the sun going down to his back, Jak slowly made his way to the port and the Naughty Ottsel. Entering the bar he found it completely empty. He didn't even see Dax. Without another thought Jak sat at the bar deciding to wait only a few minutes before heading towards his apartment. Just as he was getting ready to leave the elf turned to find Ashelin standing in the doorway out of breath and with a wide smile on her face.

"Ashelin." Jak whispered before rushing to her and hugging her. "I've been so worried about you." Jak pulled away to look at her. She was covered in blood and dirt, but other than a few niches nothing too bad was visible.

Relieved that she was safe Jak pulled her into a deep but passionate kiss. He felt a strangeness between them as their lips touched but was unable to place it. He was just glad to see that she was okay. The two kissed and held one another minutes more.

The automatic doors came open silently. So silent that they didn't disturb the two in the middle of the room. Colle almost entered the bar but when she saw Jak kissing Ashelin stopped. She couldn't believe her eyes. Without thinking anything else Colle ran. She didn't care where she went she just wanted to get away from the pain she was feeling. It hurt ten times more than anything Jeremy had ever done to her.

Daxter had been watching the scene as well. He couldn't believe what Jak had done and was still doing at the moment. He had just lost the one girl who he truly cared about but with his heart, not some made up forced emotions as with Ashelin. He had possibly made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. One that he might not be able to fix.

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**Sushi:** How was it? As promised here is you inside look at chapter 13: 

Colle and Jak aren't getting along too well, but the thing is Jak hasn't got a clue as to why. Late one night Torn has a mission for the two of them. Only Colle doesn't mention it to Jak. Thinking she could handle it on her own, Colle leaves. Later on Colle disapears. She wasn't kindapped. She vanished right before Jak's eyes.

**Jak:** Talk about the suspense.

**Sushi:** And all you have to do is review. I love them and so does my story. Good night I'm going to bed now. Review please.


	14. Chapter 13: Returning

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Jak or his world. I only own Colle and Zack and my other original characters.

**Sushi:** This chapter went a little sluggish at times but I think it's good. I love the ending. WARNING: If you hate sad stuff read it quickly! Any update notices will be posted on my profile page. It will be updated constantly.

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**Chapter 13: Returning**

It was depressing just to look at her. Zack had tried to get Colle to leave Spargus on many occasions but for some reason he hardly ever got a response. He didn't know what was wrong with her. Everyday Colle would sit on the couch looking out the window. Each time she had the same blank expression on her face. At first Zack thought she might be sick even though she had told him she was fine.

Jak came over on afternoon when Zack had called him using Colle's comm. unit. But while she would try to carry on a some what decent conversation with her brother, she didn't even speak or look at Jak. If it could have gotten any colder in the room it did when Ashelin called Jak to return to the head quarters. Jak didn't know what was wrong with the girl. He was a little worried. Before leaving to see Ashelin, Jak told Zack to call him if anything happened.

A couple of days later Zack had finally gotten his depressed sister out of their apartment (that was only because they were running low on food and needed to buy some). Colle watched her brother not wanting to lose him in the crowd as they walked through the streets of Spargus.

When he saw that the walking outside had cheered her up a bit Zack then tried convincing her to continue her training. She had always been happy while she trained. It wouldn't be easy especially when he mentioned that Jak could still help her. Colle had spent another day on the couch.

Finally after much persuasion Colle restarted her training, but with out Jak's help. She had made a promise to herself that if Jak could do it then so could she. Colle trained every morning at the rocky water's edge of the city. One day while practicing the Precursor monk, Seem, approached her.

"I must talk with you." Seem spoke in her usual wavy voice. "I am afraid that the city can't support you or your brother for much longer. The people of Spargus are not accustomed to taking care of outsiders, though it is not unheard of.

"I do have some suggestions. You could join the Precursor monks, your powers in controlling eco would be most useful. You can also join the Freedom League. I hear they are running short on supply of soldiers." Seem waited for her answer then left.

Once telling all of what Seem had told her, Zack chose the obvious choice: Freedom League. Colle had to admit she did know more about what would be expected of her if she worked for Torn than for the monks. After much debate on her part and getting over her nerves, she went to Haven City to visit with Torn.

Zack waited next to the elevator at HQ thinking she's make a better impression without her kid brother hanging around. He watched his sister as she inched her way towards the door. She stopped short of opening it. He walked up to her. "You're not going to get the job if you're scared." He gave her a push just enough to open the motion censored door.

Colle knew Zack was right and picked up her shoulder and marched over to where Torn was sitting. He looked as if he were glued to his chair. She waited for him to notice that she was there before se said anything.

"What?" He sounded rather annoyed.

"I-I." She realized how stupid she must've sounded when Torn looked at her disapprovingly. "I want to join the Freedom League." She became uncomfortable when he looked at her piercingly.

"Really?" He sounded almost surprised. "So you think that just because you saved one of my best soldiers from dying you'd be able to join the League?"

"No, sir. I-"

"Good. I've heard from a number of sources that you have some skill in combat. Both in artillery and hand-to-hand." Torn stood up and looked at the girl in front of him. "Samos told me you have the ability to locate and control eco. Is this true?"

"Well, I haven't gotten very good at it. All I've been able to do is use Jak's healing powers." Was he going to let her join or not?

"That could be useful." He paused in thought looking as if considering something. "All right. You start now."

"Excuse me, sir?" Was she hearing right? The one person she thought would never accept her was.

"You're in. I already have a mission for you" He waited for any reply and went on when there wasn't one. "Vin needs someone to set up a new eco grid system around the city. You do this and I'll give you an upgrade model for that junk pile you call a gun." He saw the older gun on the girl's back.

Colle couldn't believe it. She had been taken into the FL. Without any trouble. Now she had her own mission.

Zack had been waiting patiently outside. When he saw Colle walk out of the doors, he knew she had made it. A big smile stretched across his face. 'This is so cool.'

"I'm in. I made it." Colle grabbed her brother up in a bear hug and swung him around. The depression had been freed from her. Torn walked through the doors behind them almost getting hit by Zack's small feet. "Sorry."

"You have a mission, remember?" He tried to sound irritated but didn't completely succeed in doing so. He walked down the corridor off to meet with one of his soldiers.

"Oh yeah. That's right, I do." Placing Zack on his feet they got onto the elevator heading towards Daxter's bar.

"I want you to stay with Daxter while I'm gone. Don't go anywhere until I come back." She sat her little brother on one of the stools.

"But I want to come with you. Pweeze?" He gave his usual puppy dog eyes with his lip poked out, It always worked.

"That's not going to work this time, Zack. I don't know what's outside the city walls. I could be dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. That's why you're staying here." Taking out the small map Torn had given her Colle said her goodbyes. "Love you, little bro. See you when I get back." With a yelled 'good luck' Colle left for her first mission working with the Freedom League.

**(Two Days Later)**

"Where's Colle?" Jak had stopped by the Naughty Ottsel on his way to another mission. It was something about a new soldier in the old eco mines. It didn't sound too important so he wasn't in that much of a hurry.

"She's on a mission." Zack said cheerfully. He thought his sister was the coolest person and the fact that she was with Jak made it even better. Hopefully she wasn't angry with him anymore; whatever the reason was. "I heard Ashelin was back. What are you going to tell her about you and Colle?" The curiosity of a seven year old.

"What do you mean 'mission'?" Jak ignored that last comment. He figured he would come to an answer in time, hopefully before things turned bad. He didn't have to worry about Colle but Ashelin was a different story. She fought anyone to prove her point whether it was verbal or physical. Unfortunately, Colle was angry with him. Something he never expected from the innocent girl. She felt fear, happiness, and sadness, but he didn't think she had been capable of being angry.

"She's a Freedom League Soldier now. Didn't you know that? Don't you two talk anymore?"

"No, actually we don't. I think she's been avoiding me." Jak was getting an uneasy feeling about that new soldier. "Where is she?"

"The eco mines."

Jak was gone before Zack could say anything else. Colle was at the eco mines. Torn had called him saying he had a new recruit out that hadn't reported back for a while. Jak got to the transporter and called her. She didn't answer. Once arriving at the mines he tried to reach her once more. This time she spoke.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Gun shots were heard in the background.

"Like heck you are. Where are you?" She didn't answer. He didn't need her to. At that moment he heard the gun shots from near by. Turning across the tracks of the mine carts, Jak saw Colle surrounded by a group of metal head stingers. Normally he wouldn't have been worried but in his last metal head experience you couldn't count on things being the same as two years ago.

Two of the stingers dove below the ground. They went unnoticed by Colle who had been backed into a corner and was firing at the others with her new vulcan fury morph gun. The bullets just seemed to bounce of the hid of the metal heads. They moved in closer not knowing another enemy lay behind them.

Jak ran over to just beyond the circle of stingers. Plated armor covered their bodies. Giant pincers protruded from their mouths. Colle was the one to find out what they were used for.

The two underground stingers had emerged and grabbed either of the girl's legs. They used their pincers to keep her from running. With this opportunity, the stingers jabbed their stingers into the girl's legs several times before she was able to sling them away. Jak took this point to surprise them and attack.

Transforming into his darker self, Jak knew what he needed to do. These metal heads had armor and normal attacks wouldn't kill them. With the knowledge of an attack from behind, the stingers left Colle. Jak unleashed three attacks destroying several at once. The stingers feel in seconds from Jak's new individual eco blasts.

When Jak returned to normal he checked on Colle. She was sitting in the dirt with her hands over both legs. Jak saw that she was trying hard not to cry in front of him. If he had gotten here any later she might've been dead. The image from his dream of her lying in a pool of blood passed through his mind. And so did the ache pass through his heart. He couldn't deny that he cared for the girl but he couldn't allow himself to love her. Deep down he knew it was already too late.

"Why did you come here?" Colle tried to stand on her own. She collapsed when her legs gave out.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Why didn't you call for help?" Jak bent down and looked at Colle's injuries.

"It's my job and as for the help...I didn't want any." The truth was that she knew Torn would send Jak and she still didn't want to see him. Colle jumped when Jak touched one of the cuts on her left leg.

"Look, I know you're a good fighter, but you're all new to this. You can't go around doing these things on your own." He stood up ready to take her back to the city. "Why are you like this? You've been avoiding me. Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Can we just find the eco and leave?" The pain in her legs was increasing each few seconds.

"Fine. We'll talk later." Jak had never seen her like this. She had changed from the girl he knew from just days ago. "Do you know where we should look for this eco?"

"I can feel it coming from over there." She pointed over the small chasm. It was connected by a narrow railed bridge.

Jak pulled Colle to her feet seeing if she could stand. "Can you stand?" His voice grew worried when she had difficulty getting up. With his support the two of them crossed the bridge. He kept a firm grip on the young girl's arm and waist. If there was one wrong move they would fall to their deaths. They were soon on the other side.

Jak followed the path until they came to a dead end. He was about to ask if Colle could feel anything when he noticed the faint blue light flowing from cracks in the mountain rock. Remembering what had happened the last time he had found eco, Jak placed his hand in the substance. Nothing happened. Colle placed her hand in with him and they were swallowed by the light.

Jak was forced to change into Light Jak. The eco flowed through him as it had before. He had gained yet another ability. To heal others. Colle's pain had unlocked it within him. Staying his light form Jak waited for the light to fade as always. Colle was leaning against the side of the mountain looking in amazement at the warrior before her. Her injuries forgotten for the moment. Jak walked toward her and placed his fingers on each cut around Colle's legs. She waited for the throbbing but it never came. All that was felt was a cool soothing sensation through out her body. She looked down at her legs to find them completely healed.

Jak returned to normal. His eco that had once again begun to grow unstable were satisfied for the moment. But how long would it last this time? He could already feel the side effects fading and it hadn't even been five minutes.

"What just happened?" Colle spoke first.

"It looks like I have another new power." Jak followed behind Colle making sure she was really okay. They were going back to Haven City.

"Another new power? When did you get the first one?" Not that it mattered, she was just curious. She knew what was coming though. There was no way around it. She just hopped it wouldn't be as bad as she thought it was going to be.

"Almost a week ago. When Ashelin came back, remember?" When Ashelin came back. That following few days Colle had been in a deep depression. Did it have something to do with him? After all she wouldn't speak to him. At least she was talking now even if it wasn't too friendly.

"How could I forget?" She asked sarcastically. Jak had caught the remark and pressed it. Maybe he would find out why she was in such a foul mode lately.

"You've been acting differently lately. Did something happen?"

"So you did notice? And all this time I thought you were just dumb." She was finally getting to take out her anger with him. It had built up for over a week and it wasn't pleasant.

"Okay, that's it. What's your problem? I've been trying to be nice but you don't like it. What's wrong with you?"

"You! My problem is you!" She turned on him. They had almost made it the Naughty Ottsel. "You say you care about me, you want to keep me safe! But how can you when you're the one that's causing me the pain?"

"What are you talking about?" Now he was utterly confused. Since when had he hurt her?

"I can't believe you! Ashelin!" She began crying. "You kissed her! Right in front of me." Her voice died off as she walked away from him. She didn't want to deal with him anymore. She would get her brother an leave. It had been a mistake joining the Freedom League.

"She was there." Jak felt horrible. He 'was' horrible.

**...minutes later...**

"I joined the Freedom League so that I would have some way to get you out of my head, but you just have to be everywhere don't you?" She knew Jak was on his guilt trip but it wasn't anything compared to what she had felt the last week or what she was feeling now.

"You were stupid to join anyway! You're in danger or have you forgotten the Rosrucerps are after you. They've been kidnapping our soldiers!" Jak could feel something inside him wanting to break free. Now was not a good time. "You joining the Freedom League was like painting a giant target on your head saying 'here I am! Come get me!'"

"You wouldn't train me! Once Ashelin came back I was dead weight!" Colle wanted to leave. Zack stood watching the two of them. He knew Jak had hurt his sister but now he was making her upset. He needed to know how to stop them from arguing. He didn't want Colle to lose someone else she cared about.

"Stop talking nonsense! You stayed I Spargus, you wouldn't even look at me!"

"I wonder why!" She started to walk away. She was going home, or at least as far away from Jak as she could get. There were more important things to be worrying about than to stand here yelling at him.

Jak couldn't hold it back any longer. His darkness snapped and emerged within him. He was Dark Jak. Now anything could happen. He saw the girl walking away from him. She wasn't going anywhere. Dark Jak struck out and grabbed the teenaged girl. Colle turned immediately around. She saw those deep black emotionless eyes before her. For the first time she was scared of him. Dark Jak's claws pressed into her wrist until blood seeped from the small cuts. Colle couldn't believe what he was doing.

Zack saw this too and started hitting Jak to let go of his sister. He knew about Jak not being able to control his eco powers too much anymore, but this was more than he could stand. He yelled at his childhood hero when he didn't let go.

It only lasted for seconds even though it seemed like hours. Jak turned back to his normal self and saw Colle staring at him. Horror was pasted over her face as she ripped her arm free from him. She ran to the transporter dragging Zack with her.

Jak remained there wondering what had happened. He felt something dripping from his fingers. When he looked at them he too was horrified. Blood ran across his hand. He then knew what he had done. He had hurt Colle. She was scared of him.

Late that night, Torn had called his new soldier to inform her of a new mission. Colle had gone straight to bed after cleaning her wrist. Zack had slept with her. He was scared not only of what had happened but what might happen next time. Before going to bed Colle had lock all the doors and windows. Something she rarely did.

The mission Torn wanted her to take also meant being with Jak. Torn had told her it was too dangerous to go alone. Colle took the mission but didn't tell Jak like she was told to do. She was still very much afraid of him. Leaving Zack in the apartment, she gave him the comm. unit incase she wasn't back by morning. She didn't want to leave him alone but she didn't have much choice. She grabbed her gun from her new gun rack and left Spargus.

**The next morning**

Jak walked to the Naughty Ottsel. He wasn't in the best of moods. He was still thinking about yesterday. He knew Colle was hurt but how was he going to get her to trust him again? Better yet, how was he going to trust himself?

Torn was waiting for him upon his arrival. "How did it go?"

"Huh?" He was brought out of his stupor.

"Last night? What did you find?"

"What are you talking about?" He wasn't in the mode for guessing games.

Before Torn told him, Zack's voice came over Jak's comm. unit. The little boy was crying. "Sh-she's...not b-back! She sa-said she w-w-would be!" His words were hardly understandable.

Jak glared at Torn. "What about last night? Where's Colle?"

"I sent the two of you on a mission." Jak had never been this angry. "She said she would tell you."

"She obviously didn't. Why didn't you do it?" The darkness was welling up again. He knew it would get him nowhere, he controlled it as best he could.

"You wouldn't answer." Torn was getting fed up with this. That girl was out there somewhere. And from what Samos and Mora had told him she was important. Now she was missing.

"You shouldn't have let her join, Torn." As he was leaving he warned the ex-Krimson Guard leader, "You don't have to worry about her. All you have to worry about is what will happen to you if she doesn't make it."

Again the image of Colle's body in a pool of blood passed through his mind. Jak called Zack to see if he was okay. "Kid. You okay?"

"Where is she?" He was still in tears.

"I'm going to find her now." Every one in Spargus was given a transmitter. Normally it was reserved for those who had survived three rounds in the arena but Sig had made an exception in the newcomers' case. When Colle had moved to her apartment, Sig thought it good to give her one. Incase she pulled another stunt like going out into the wastelands alone. Hopefully she had it with her.

Jak pulled his out and flipped it over. He used it to locate Colle. She was far away. Somewhere in the desert. He could be there in a matter of minutes if he was lucky. He prayed she was safe. The wasteland was a big place, but with the help of the transmitter, Jak knew exactly where to find the girl. The old metal head nest. The sand shark was able to get him there in less then ten minutes.

The sun gleamed down as Jak entered the nest. He searched around every crack and broken wall. He hadn't seen any sign of Colle. Something caught his eye as he passed a pile of rocks. He walked closer and became worried when he saw that it was a rosrucerp. The beast had transformed. The disturbing thing about it thought was that it looked like it had been blown up from the inside. Near this one he found others in the same condition. Whatever had done this had been powerful. Worry was etched on the elf's face. If this is what happened to the tuff creatures then what happened to Colle? He didn't even want to picture it.

Turning down a passageway, Jak saw light from the end of the tunnel. It looked all too familiar. It was just like his dream. He started to run dreading what he knew he would find at the end. All the while seeing the remains of the rosrucs.

He saw the form lying on the ground amidst a group of unrecognizable creatures. He ran faster. He dream was coming true right before his eyes. He stood right in front of the girl Colle. She was covered in gashes and blood. Jak couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He knelt down next to the girl and lifted her in his arms. Blood was all around her. Jak could still feel a pulse but it was fading rapidly. Colle was dying. His heart was aching. He was going to lose her before he could even work things out with her. He couldn't let her die, but what could he do? She wouldn't survive too much longer. An idea came to him.

He had the ability to heal others now. He released the light within him and sent it in to Colle. He waited minutes longer, but nothing was happening. He tried again but came to the same conclusion. Tears ran down his face as he cried for the first time since he was a child. He hadn't even cried when his father, Damas had been killed. He loved his father, but Colle had changed him. Now he was going to lose that.

The girl's heart began to slow. Her breathing lessened. She was about to die. Jak couldn't take it. He pulled Colle to his chest and cried for her. He cried for himself for being so stupid and he cried for not telling her that he truly loved her.

Jak opened his eyes when a light appeared around the girl in his arms. She was fading away. Jak didn't know what to do. He could do nothing but watch as the young girl faded from his arms and from sight. Colle was gone. Jak sat there hours later with tears stained to his face. He was covered in her blood. He felt nothing. He was numb. The girl he loved was gone and her little brother was alone in this world. How was he going to tell Zack?

He didn't even know how to tell himself that it was all real.

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**Sushi:** I'm sad now. I can't believe I did that. I feel like crying now. 

**Jak:** You're so cruel.

**Sushi:** (crying) I'm sorry. You guys will forgive me right?

**Jak:** Don't forget to review.

**Summary for Chapter 14:**Colle stands up against Jeremy.The Naughty Dog owner makes his appearence. Jak ends it with Ashelin and Colle returns to Jak's world.

**Sushi**: I don't want to give too much away so that's all you get!


	15. Chapter 14: Home

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I only own my original characters like Colle and Zack. I also own the character of Seer but not Jason Rubin he is an actual person.

**Sushi:** A slight warning. If this chapter isn't as good as my others it's because it was hard to write especailly since I started over half-way though. Oh well. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 14: Home**

The ground was wet and smelled of month old ham and gym socks. Mist fell from the sky as thunder shook the buildings around the city. A girl was lying in the middle of an old trash alley. She was covered in half healed cuts and dried blood.

Colle sat up and looked around. The place looked vaguely familiar. Then it hit her...She was home! How did she get back? Looking around her she noticed she was alone. Zack wasn't here. She got up and nearly fell over. She had hardly any strength. Her whole body was sore. Memories from the previous battle flooded her head.

Torn had called her and Jak to the old metal head nest in the wastelands. He said there had been some strange energy changes. It looked threatening. Colle had gone without Jak. And wouldn't you know the one time she didn't ask him to come along, she should have. Colle was ambushed not too long after entering the cave. The powers sleeping within her rushed out and destroyed the rosrucerps. They had a rather gruesome fate. Colle became sick even thinking about it.

She still didn't know how she returned home, but she didn't want to be here. Being home meant being alone, scared, and there was Jeremy. He wouldn't be gone forever. She was sure that as soon as she left the alley, he would know she was close by. He had his little group of spies everywhere. He was the one who was scared.

Colle headed for her house. It was no longer her home. She didn't have one. But at least she could get out of the rain. She didn't have far to go. As she walked her legs became stiff. She received glances from passer byres for her unusual appearance. Her clothes, and she was covered in blood. Now that she though of it, she had her gun too.

Arriving home she found the door unlocked. It had been almost two months and the door had been unlocked. Not really caring about the door, she entered the house. Nothing had changed. Nothing had been touched. Once she was able to sit down and rest, the semi-healed injuries began to burn.

With all the times, Jeremy had come over, Colle had learned to stock up on the first aid necessities. She headed for the bathroom and grabbed the bandages. She covered what she could knowing it would be useless in her search to return to Jak's world unable to fight. If she ever found a way to get back. She went to the kitchen in search of something to eat afterward.

"You did come back." A deep voice came from the doorway of the kitchen.

Colle froze in her food scavenging. Jeremy was behind her. White anger passed through her, but she forced herself to remain calm. She would only attack him under self-defense. She wasn't going to sink to his level. Secretly, she wanted him to try and hit her. Then he would see how much she had changed.

"What do you want?" She looked at him with as much hatred as he had shown her for the past two years.

"Aren't we brave today?" Jeremy walked closer. All of a sudden his voice grew distinctly colder. "Did you think you could run forever. I knew you would come back. You couldn't find anyone who would have you, so you came back here. You're a coward." (A/N: I don't normally cut into the story like this but I really don't like these parts-they're mean. Just thought I'd tell you.) He slapped her but didn't get to see the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She didn't even flinch. "You're going to wish you had never come back to this house." He went to strike her again but found himself with a fist in his stomach.

"I'm tired of listening to you. You don't know a thing about me. All you ever do is hurt people. I should kill you for what you've put Zack and me through." Finally she was getting to release her anger and hatred for Jeremy.

"You don't know who you're messing with, little girl." The mocking ness in his voice was clear at the end. "So you've learned how to use your fists. But you're still," he went to punch her again, "a weak little-"

Colle's fist had landed on his face. She had become stronger with her training. She didn't have to worry about Zack this time. This time Jeremy couldn't hurt her. He had landed on the floor. He held his hand to his face indicating maybe a broken nose. Colle knew how to get rid of him to where he would never bother her again. She brought out her morph gun.

"You see this?" She aimed at him. "This is my weapon." She was using a bluff. She had used all of her ammo when the rosrucerps had attacked her.

Jeremy sat frozen to the floor. She was going to shoot him.

"Like I said, 'I should kill you for what you put us through'...but I'm not like you." She kept her gun pointed straight at him. "I want you out. Now!"

He didn't need to be told twice. Jeremy was up and running. He hit the door on his way out saying something about "crazy" and "revenge."

With major relief, Colle sat at her kitchen table. She sat there for hours. There was an empty feeling inside of her. It wasn't like it Haven or Spargus. There was always something to occupy her. She missed Zack. There was an empty space in her heart with him not here. She couldn't stand being alone.

Jak would take care of her brother. Colle missed him too. She looked down at her now bandaged wrist. The cuts had begun to heal. Even though he had hurt her, she wanted to be with him. He hadn't hurt her on purpose. She knew that.

She would find a way to get back. There had to be a way. She thought on how she had gone the first time. She had found a Precursor artifact. It had transported her. Thinking of the Precursors, she remembered what the Leader had told her. There was a Precursor in this world! But how was she going to find him?

"The Precursor created a company known as Naughty Dog..."

"Naughty Dog. That's where I can find him...and hopefully a way to get back home." She thought on what she had said. Yes, that place had become more of a home than here had ever been since the death of her parents.

For the next five days, Colle went about looking for a way to get to the gaming industry. It was harder than you would imagine. The company was at least five hours away. She couldn't afford the gas let alone the air tickets. It seemed Jeremy had found her credit cards.

Colle had tried calling Naughty Dog, but every time someone answered they hung up on her. She was beginning to think she'd never make contact. That was until the morning of the sixth day...

It was Sunday. The weather had been gloomy all week. It always looked as if it were going to rain, but it never did. Normally, Colle would have slept in but that was a little difficult with someone inches from your face staring at you. Colle jumped back and almost screamed when she woke up. Before her was an ottsel.

"How did you get here?"

"Teleportation is a great thing." He sat on the couch when Colle moved her feet. She had slept there ever since she had gotten back.

"Who are you?"

"I'm the one you've been looking for. My name's Seer, but you might know me as Jason Rubin. I thought it would do better to fit in." He held out his fuzzy paw. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Colle."

"You too..." The name had sounded familiar but she didn't know where from. She shook his tiny paw.

"You look a little worse for wear. I guess your body couldn't heal itself right away. You were asleep for two days until you woke up in that alley. I watched over you, of course. Anyway, you were looking for a way to get back to my world, were you not?"

"Yeah...but I don't know if I belong there anymore." She had thought of what had gone on while she had been there. Unfortunately, it was part of the reason she had slowed in her pursue of a way there. Jak had attacked her once, what if it happened again? Sure it had been because of his control slipping, but it had never been like that before. She knew she had angered him. It's what gave his dark side the extra push.

Seer could tell she was thinking. He guessed what it was about. "You're a strong one, you are. You don't have to worry about him. You'll be able to help him when you learn to control your powers. You love him and he loves you. Just give him a little time."

"You know a lot about me. If you're in this world, how do you know about all of this?" Precursors knew more then they let on. This one was no exception to the rule.

"We have our ways." He pulled something out of his small coat pocket. It was glowing. "I have something for you. It's a Precursor gem. It will take you back to Jak's world. But I must warn you: This will be your last chance to go back. If you go and then return here you won't be able to see him again. He'll be gone from you, forever."

"I can go back?" She reached her fingers out towards the glowing object. It was warm. But if she came back here with Zack she would never see Jak again. It would all be over. She didn't know if she could stand that even if he had hurt her. She did love him.

"I know you'll make the right decision. Take your time." He started to put the object back into his pocket.

"Wait. I already know what I want."

"Yes?"

"I want to go. I want to be with them both." She reached out for the object again. He let her have it.

"Good luck. I may just have to add this adventure to the next game...Jak: Search for the Lost Precursor Crystal. Has a familiar ring to it don't you agree?" He said as the girl started to disappear. She was leaving.

"You're the game creator? The owner of Naughty Dog?" He gave her her answer before she disappeared completely. It was him. He was the fuzz ball who owned the major gaming company.

As soon as the glowing object touched her hand, Colle began to feel the same as she had the first time she had gone to Jak's world. The ground rushed up to meet her. A wave of sickness went through her stomach as the light became darkness.

* * *

"What's wrong with you, Jak?" Ashelin walked into his apartment. A little boy was there with Jak. She recognized him as being the younger brother of the new Freedom League soldier, Colle. That was the reason Ashelin had come out on such a dreary day.

Jak didn't really make a sound except to acknowledge she was there. He hadn't been out of his apartment it three days. When Colle had vanished right before his eyes, he didn't know what to think. Now all he could think about was if she was okay. She had been dying when he last saw her. The thought of her lying somewhere dead always caused his heart to clinch in pain.

"You can't stay here forever." Ashelin wasn't too happy about this little predicament. Sure she didn't want to see Jak like this, but she didn't like the fact that Jak cared so much for this girl. "Why are you doing this? If you plan to rule over Haven City then you can't be like this every time someone dies or goes missing. From what I can tell of you now, you hardly eat and you hardly sleep."

"I'll do what I want. You don't know what happened. You don't know how it feels." Those were the first words he had spoken to her in almost six days. She had become colder since she knew he had been spending time aside from missions with Colle.

"I know more than you think." Ashelin knew almost everything that had happened between the two. Word traveled fast through the soldiers. Jak had spent a lot of time with Colle. Then Jak had lost control of his powers and attacked the girl. She ran and had gone out on a mission on her own. Jak found out and followed after her. She didn't come back. He came back a wreck. It took hours to find out what had happened.

"If you know what happened then why are you making such a big deal about it?" His voice was gloomy. Zack sat watching them thinking it wasn't going to end pretty.

"Because, you're supposed to love me, Jak, not her." She came out and said it knowing he never would.

"I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Well, I do. You hardly know her. She's only been here for two months. How can you possibly love her when we've been together for two years?" Her voice was growing loader.

"I told you, you wouldn't understand."

"Understand what? That you kissed her?" She had known for a week. Apparently some people hadn't known that she and Jak were together.

"Ashelin..." He remained silent.

"What, Jak?" She was getting ready to leave. He wasn't going to tell her anything anyway. So why bother? He was silent minutes longer until Ashelin thought he'd changed his mind.

"It's over. I can't deal with it anymore. We're through." It was the first time he had looked at her. He was serious. He had made his decision.

"oh really? Fine. If you're going to act this way then I guess it is over." She angrily left his apartment slamming the door on the way out.

"That didn't go too bad." Zack spoke up. He didn't even get an acknowledge met. Jak had shut himself in his depression bubble again. Coming from the other room, Zack heard a strange sound. He went to investigate. He came running back with a wide smile on his face. "Jak."

The cheerfulness in the child's voice caught his attention. He was holding Jak's wastelander beacon. It was going off. Jak immediately snatched the beacon out of the boy's hand.

"Colle." Hope began to lift his spirit. He had found her. Her own beacon was reacting to his. "Let's go get her." Jak went to the door.

"She's back then?" Zack was excited. He followed his hero down the streets of New Haven.

They passed Ashelin as they ran to a nearby zoomer. She yelled out to Jak but he ignored her. Colle was back and he wasn't going to make the mistake of losing her again.

* * *

Colle woke minutes later to find herself in a sandy region. She was in the wastelands again. She was back in Jak's world.

* * *

**Sushi**: Hello! Finally another chapter finished! This chapter was much better than the last one at least in the way of sadness.

**Jak**: Can we get on with this, I want to go to bed.

**Sushi:** I guess. Since you put it that way...Don't forget to review please!


	16. Chapter 15: Reunion

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I own my own characters not those of the Jak and Daxter games. They belong to Naughty Dog.

**Sushi**: This is another short chapter (but with long paragraphs)!It's a change and it won't take forever to read it! True feelings are revealed this time as Jak and Colle meet once again. Hope you like!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Reunion**

The wind rushed passed the sand buggy as Jak made his way through the wasteland. Colle's beacon was sending a message near the oasis. It was just as before. Except for the Marauders and the storm. The sun was beating down as Jak drew closer to his destination. He had left Zack back at the palace. There wouldn't have been much room with him along and he didn't want to take one of the larger vehicles becauseit would be too slow. He didn't know what he would find at the oasis. He hoped Colle would be okay. If she could only hold on a few minutes longer.

It took what felt like hours to reach the beacon's location. He hadn't needed to go the rest of the way, because the beacon was moving. He though his might have been broken but didn't want to think about that since it would mean Colle might not have been out there at all.

In the distance, Jak noticed something moving towards him. It was right in his path. He slowed to a stop and looked at his radar. It was moving with Colle's beacon. As the figure grew closer, Jak noticed a familiar outline. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was Colle! Jak jumped out of the screamer and started walking towards her. His heart was full of happiness upon seeing the girl coming at him. 'I can't believe she's alive!'

Colle could see something ahead of her. It looked like a vehicle...The thought of an attack by Marauders frightened her. She didn't have much in the way of protection. Her morph gun wouldn't cause much damage. Not to mention she still didn't have any ammo.Perhaps if she could use her powers again...As she came closer she saw someone get out of the vehicle. Her heart stopped suddenly when she figured out who was walking towards her. Jak. She had wanted to see him so badly, but now that she had, she was angry with him. The amount of thinking she had done while in her own world did nothing for her. He had hurt her. Both emotionally and physically. She didn't want to talk to him. When Jak looked as if he was going to hug her, she walked right past him. He could apologize when he felt like it. Until then, she would stay in Spargus.

"Colle, wait." Jak could tell she was still hurt because of what he had done. Her wrist was bandaged. He thought of what she had told him the day she had disapeared. She had seen himkiss Ashelin.Looking at her made him feel guilty again. He didn't like it. "I'm sorry, okay?"

The girl stops and turns her head to look at him. "So am I. I'm sorry for falling in love with you." Then she whispers thinking her wouldn't hear. "I'm sorry I still am." She continues walking.

She was leaving him. Jak wouldn't let that happen, not again. He had let that happen once and he had almost lost her. The warrior ran after the girl. He stopped in front of her. "You have to listen..."

"Why? I don't want to go through this. It hurts too much." She took a deep breath. "You can be with Ashelin. I'm okay with it." She tried to move past him but Jak stopped her. He grabbed her shoulder. He felt her flinch under his touch and his guilt multiplied.

"Because...because I love you..." Thinking it was one thing but saying it was another. He had told her how he felt and the weight lifted from his heart. He knew how he felt. "And I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. I don't want to make the same mistake of losing you again."

Colle remained silent listening to him talk. He sounded so sincere. "I'm sorry too. That I acted like that and then left on my own. I should have known better. You have a right to be angry with me..."

"You shouldn't have to apologize for the things that happened.All of this was my fault." Jak embraced Colle. She reluctantly returned the hug. "I promise I'll never do anything to hurt you again."

"I know how things can go wrong sometimes." They pulled back. "But next time I can work through them. Running doesn't really ever solve anything. It just makes thing more difficult."

"Let's both agree to never do this again, okay?" Jak placed his hands on her cheeks and looked into her eyes. She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. Jak thought he had done something. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm just glad to be home, that's all." She whipped the tears away.

"Home?"

"Yeah. This is my home." They both looked out into the sandy plains of the desert.

"Nice place. Mind if I come for a visit?" He joked.

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." She smiled and lightly hit his arm. They laughed together. Colle stops when she notices Jak staring at her. Her cheeks turn pink as he looked at her with those eyes that could see inside her.

He lowered his head until his lips were gently touching hers. He felt Colle pull away from him. He looked at her questioningly.

"I just wanted to tell you something first." She looked down at the sand. 'Come on! Now's not the time be chicken out!' She talked to herself until she gained the courage to like him in the eye. "I love you too." Before she could change her mind from embarrassment, Colle finished her kiss with the strong warrior in front of her.

Things had really worked out for the better. Thinking if they had the chance to choose again, they would pick the same things. Who knows if other decisions would have led to the same feelings they now had for each other?

* * *

**Sushi:** Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I thought the ending was rather cute! 

**Jak:** You think everything's either cute or sad so I don't know how it would make them know what you're talking about.

**Sushi:** That made no sense...The ending went a little faster than I had liked but I draw things out a little much, don't I? Anyway, I have just begun Chapter 16: The Precursor Crystal. Here's your preview of the next chapter:

Sig tells our heroes of the Metal Head uprise. Vin discovers the main base of the rosrucerps. Jak and Colle infitrate their base and steal the Crystal. Colle is then kidnapped and the crystal is taken back.

**Sushi:** Don't forget to review! I hope this story keeps going as well as it has been. It just doesn't seem to be as easy to write as before...


	17. Chapter 16: The Precursor Crystal

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from Jak's world.

**Sushi:** There's not much to say here so I'll let you get on with the story.

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Precursor Crystal**

They had finally reached an understanding. The two of them walked side by side to the palace. Colle couldn't wait to see her brother. With that Colle grabbed Jak's hand and ran. This took the elf completely by surprise to where he almost fell.

Colle ran through the streets pulling Jak behind her. She was completely and utterly happy. Things were back to normal. Or as normal as they could get in this place.

Jak could do nothing but smile as the young girl brought him through the streets of Spargus. Aside from the growing threat of an approaching war or his powers growing out of control again, there wasn't anything that could go wrong. Of course that wasn't necessarily true. Things could always go wrong. just like they could always get worse. Fortunately, Jak didn't see things like that at the moment. He tightened his grip on Colle's hand. She looked back smiling at him.

The palace was majestic. Looking as if it grew from the rock itself, the building rose to an awing height towards the clouds above. The spires formed shadows along the ground covering almost every inch of the ground. The flags rippled in the winds. A sign of a future storm.

Jak and Colle entered the palace. With no one there to greet them they went in search of Sig or Zack.

"Well, isn't that a cute picture?" Sig laughed when Colle and Jak let go of each other's hand blushing. He quickly became serious. "Jak, Colle, we have a problem." He led them into the conference room where there were maps of Haven, Spargus, and the surrounding areas. "The remaining metal heads have formed into groups. They're moving in to close off all of our support. I know you two have fought them and so have I. I heard from Ashelin of a new force making their stand. They've been taking your soldiers. If we get into a war now, we won't come out alive. Thing's are gonna get heavy."

Days later, after returning to Haven, Jak and Colle went to see Vin under orders of Torn.

"Vin, we need you to scan anything-anything at all out of the ordinary." Colle walked up to the floating head. He was holographic.

"I'll see what I can do." He disappeared from one spot and reappeared in another. "sheesh. You guys sure do ask for a lot. And not one bit of gratitude. I tell ya, you'd be lost if I hadn't been a genus."

"Sorry about this, Vin. But unless you want to be involved in another war, we need your help." Jak added his part.

"Another war? I guess when you put it like that..." Vin continued to pop up all over the place. "Done."

"That was fast." Colle was impressed.

"It was simple really, all that was needed was-"

"Vin, later. What did you find?"

"Oh, right...Okay, there is something. It's more like a pulse of energy. It's coming not far from the monk temple. I'm surprised they haven't noticed it yet. It's deep within the old hidden chambers. I'm not sure what to make of it. It seems to be giving off eco signals. But it's concentrated like it's some object. The only way something like that could be contained in such a small object is if it were crystallized. That's all I can tell you for now."

Jak and Colle were walking to HQ to report back to Torn. "So...do you think what Vin found could be the Precursor Crystal?" Colle walked backwards with her hands behind her. She looked at Jak.

"It's a possibility. The only way to know for sure would be to look ourselves." He was lost in thought. What would happen when they found this 'crystal?'

"I guess we can check it out tomorrow. I don't see any point in waiting any longer, do you?" She stopped walking. Jak was awfully quiet.

"What do you mean 'we?' You're not going." Jak stopped too before he ran into the girl. "It'll be too dangerous."

"I'm a Freedom League soldier you know." She said pretending to be angry. "You've trained me yourself." She stood with her hands on her hips.

At that moment, Jak knew how much she had changed. She had once been the frightened teenager new to this world only trying to save her brother. Now she was brave and enjoying herself. He knew how strong she had become.

"All right. But you can't do anything reckless."

"That's your style isn't?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm the one that trained you, remember?" Jak continued walking with Colle by his side. They came to a stop again at the HQ doors. Once they opened the two went inside.

Jak told everything that Vin had relayed to them. Torn agreed with Colle that they should go out tomorrow to check things out. They discussed tactics. Like what to do if things went out of control. Into the late afternoon the three went over how Jak and Colle would get into the base of the rosrucerps. It was under the monk temple. Vin said there were old corridors that had gone unused for many years. Much like the Precursor Catacombs.

The fighters went to the Naughty Ottsel for dinner. Zack had been there waiting for them to return. He had been so excited that they had gotten together again. Daxter hadn't let the topic rest with Jak unless Colle was gone. He told him how right he had been and how blind Jak was for not noticing it before.

When darkness fell, Colle and Zack returned to Spargus. Morning was still hours away. They would need their energy for the tasks ahead.

**(Much later the next day)**

The way through the old passages had been blocked and hard to maneuver through. It took hours to break through. After more searching they found the Precursor Crystal. It had been mysteriously unguarded. They wanted to lure something or someone to find it. It was just as they had thought. It was the same stone that had caused Colle's powers to be revealed. Now they ran for their lives.

Jak held onto the crystal with one hand and pulled Colle behind him with the other as they ran. The crystal was finally their but for how long depended on the enemy pursuing them. The rosrucerps had transformed. They were gaining on them too.

"Jak! We're running out of places to run!" Colle screamed as the wind picked up. It was true. More of the scaly monstrous ottsels were running across the sand from all directions. The only way left was to climb. The cliffs were steep but had many foot holds.

"Then we'll just have to climb!" Another sand storm was gathering. If something didn't happen then they would be ripped apart. Either by the raging winds or the beasts behind them. Jak started climbing the rocky edges of the cliffs pulling Colle behind him. He had to let go to grab a better hold on the rocks.

"Jak! Colle!" Torn's voice was barely understandable as the wind and growls mixed together. "Jak!"

"This better be good Torn! We don't have time for this!"

"Sig informed me of the situation. I'm on my way. I should be there in the next minute! You two just stay alive until then!" The comm. unit cut off.

"Jak!" Colle had been right behind him. The rosrucerps weren't only good at fighting but they were apparently good at climbing too. One of them had grabbed Colle's foot and was pulling her down.

Jak quickly pulled out his morph gun and opened fire. The rosrucerp let go more out of surprise than anything. The bullets weren't strong enough to do any real harm. Jak grabbed hold of Colle's arm as she began to fall losing her grip.

"Just a little farther!" Torn would be there any moment. The two continued to climb hoping to reach the top and leave this place behind.

All too soon though, the transformed rosrucerps grabbed for the girl ahead of them again. They knew she was important. Their leader wanted her alive. Taking a firm hold of the girl's legs they yanked her back so that she fell onto many of them. She called out for the warrior once more. He tried getting to her but the rosrucerps kept him at bay. They were cautious however. They knew what the two of them were capable of.

Colle panicked. And just as her last encounter had shown, her powers were very sensitive to fear. Waves of energy flowed through her body and into the enemy surrounding her. Although there was much of the same effect as last time, there were more than a hand full to deal with. The near by creatures exploded from the inside out while others only seemed to melt away. One of the unaffected rosrcus got close enough to knock her out with his big clawed fist. Her powers stopped instantly.

Jak could do nothing but watch as the girl he loved was carried away from him. He felt anger well up inside him as well as fear of what might happen to her. His warring powers came to the surface fighting to take control. Finally the anger won out and Jak was surrounded in darkness. Horns grew from his forehead as his skin and hair paled to almost shear white. He released his stored energy wanting to watch the scaled ottsels writhe in pain. Just as Colle had discovered, the number of enemies was overwhelming. Jak didn't have enough strength to destroy so many.

From up above, shots were fired from a Freedom League cruiser. Torn had just arrived. "Jak! Over here!" Torn looked around when he didn't see Colle. "Where's the girl?"

Jak had taken his eyes off of Colle for only a second, when he looked back to see that she was gone. She had disappeared below the sea of rosrucerps. He had lost her again.

"Jak! If you don't get up here we're dead!" Torn was having difficulty handling the cruiser. The high winds and enemy fire made it increasingly difficult to stay in one spot.

Jak just held onto the rocks as he watched the beasts flea from the desert storm. A few remained to retrieve the crystal. Jak still held it in his hand.

Jak hadn't regained much of his energy. There wasn't enough to transform into Dark Jak. With anger still inside him be continued climbing toward the top of the rocky cliffs. One of the rosrucerps caught up to him. The creature had him long enough to grab hold of the crystal. Torn was able to give the warrior help, however. He shot the rosruc but was unable to keep it from taking the crystal. Jak hadn't the strength of taking on a transformed scaly ottsel.

Once the crystal was in hand, they other rosrucs ran off to join the others.

Jak got into the Freedom League cruiser reluctantly. Still unwilling to leave without Colle. "Let's go!" Without a second thought, Torn pulled out of the winds and headed for Haven City.

**(With Colle)**

Shockwaves pashed through the ground. The rosrucerps were harnessing the power within the Precursor Crystal. This caused the girl they had captured to stir in her sleep. She opened her eyes.

"Finally, you're away." A mumbled voice brought Colle fully awake. He mind had been numb. Not really understanding what was going on or where she was. "Too bad. You would have been better to remain comatose."

Colle blearily looked around. She couldn't move. Her arms and legs were clasped onto a circular metal frame. Beside her was the Precursor Crystal. It was pulsating. Energy was pouring from it.

She was in an old building by the looks of it. Cobwebs hung from the ceilings like tapestries. Old iron bars were strewn across the floor. The windows were broken and dirt had replaced them as if the building had fallen below ground. The air was filled with dust and the smell of mold.

The rosrucerp was standing next to some sort of computer. He pulled a lever causing Colle to yelp. he walked over to her.

"You are Colle. You're the one we've been searching for. I am Gurotik, the Rosrucerp leader." He smirked seeing her trying not to scream out. "You are our key to the destruction of this dead rock of a planet."

'What's going on? What's he doing to me?' The shockwave going through her body made it impossible to speak without screaming. 'Why does he want to destroy this planet?'

"All great questions." His smirk widened when he saw her surprise.

'He can read minds?'

"Yes. And you won't live for too much longer so why hold back?" The rosruc was enjoying this. "Below the surface of this planet are vast stores of every eco imaginable. The silos."

Colle knew about them. Or at least the dark eco. Having played the first Jak game, it was like history was repeating itself. 'Then why do you need the crystal? Why do you need me?'

"You are the key. With your powers, I can open those doors releasing millions of gallons of eco." He remained silent taking in the fact that he would soon hold all the power on this dirt ball of a planet. "The power flowing through you will open the last lock. Ironically enough the locks are powered by eco. The crystal will enhance your powers opening the silos."

"I'd...rather-die!..." She was able to speak with little success resisting to scream. 'I won't help you destroy this world! It's my home!'

"That must mean a lot to you, not having much of a home in your own world." He spoke sarcastically. "Funny thing is...once the eco is released, your world will cease to exist along with this one." Gurotik left the struggling girl. At the computer he raised the force of the shockwaves passing through the crystal and into her.

"It should only be a few hours now." He headed for the old doorway. "Enjoy your last few moments among the living." He was gone as Colle could no longer hold back her pain.

Screams echoed through the large chamber from which she was kept. Hardly even a minute later Colle had passed out with the energy still going into her.

* * *

**Sushi:** Sorry for the delay. I was too buisy yesterday to work on my story; I hope you haven't gotten angry... 

**Jak:** I don't think one day will make them mad.

**Sushi:** I know, but I feel I should appologize anyway. Here's the summary for the next chapter:

**Chapter 17:** Jak saves Colle from the Rosrucerps. Back at HQ, Torn and Mora have deviseda plan to find out what exactly is going on. Jak and Colle lead an assult on the base of the rosrucs. This is the final chapter for Two Sides to Everything! (but don't for get the epilogue.)

**Jak:** Don't for get to review.


	18. Chapter 17: Battle Plans

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: Jak characters no belongie to me. Colle and Zack mine.

**Sushi:** Okay, the original version of this chapter was horrible. Not really what happened but how it was written. I hated it. It took me three days to fix everything! I hope you like the end result.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Battle Plans**

Small rocks fell to the ground as Jak moved silently through the old building. He had made his way back after the storm had broken. The hour was late and there wasn't much to be said of life through the hallways. Jak searched until he heard a continuous scream in the distance. He knew that voice! The warrior dashed to the large room where the sound had come. He saw to his horror Colle strapped to some device with waves of electricity passing over her. It was like what he had gone through when he had first arrived in Haven City. He knew she was in pain.

Jak made sure no one was around before entering the room. It was clear. He ran to the computer of what he was sure would stop the torture. Not knowing how to turn the machine off, he hit the computer repeatedly until the power ended. Colle was released and fell to the ground unconscious. Jak ran over to the fallen girl and lifted her into his arms. He was awestruck at what he saw. Two stripes traveled down her face over her eyes and stopped at her cheeks. Two stripes also covered each ear. Something had happened to her. The markings were similar to those of the Krimson Guards'.

He made sure she was comfortable before he set out for the exit. He was about to step foot out the old broken door when he was stopped.

"I would put her back if I were you, warrior." A rosruc stepped through the shadows. He was at least a head taller than an Jak had seen before. The scalely ottsel came up passed Jak's waist. Fangs protruded from the creature's mouth even while he was silent. Crimson eyes bore into Jak like red hot pokers just taken from the flame.

"That isn't going to happen." Jak had been hoping to get out without any trouble, just as he had gotten in. The elf had used most of his eco trying to save Colle earlier. He did have time to regain it now.

"Then I suppose you will just have to die, then won't you?" The rosrucerp leader stepped forward revealing two more rosrucs. They were almost as huge as him.

Gurotik was the first to change. Instead of being black with a green sheen of scales like the lower ranked rosrucs, the leader was a deep dark, blood red. His eyes changed to a rotting green. Saliva dripped from his open razor sharp mouth. The other two changed after him.

Jak backed away. He needed to protect Colle. He froze when he felt her begin to stir in his arms. Now was definitely not a good time for this.

"Jak?" The girl found herself no longer strapped to the strange device. Instead she was in the midst of a fight that had yet to begin. Three transformed rosrucerps blocked the only way out.

"It's okay, Colle. I've got this covered." He looked around for a place he could put Colle while he dealt with this problem. Only problem was there wasn't a single place for her to hid without him getting attacked in the process of getting her there.

"Jak...put me down..." She was very tired. Her body was exhausted and soar.

"What? Why?" He was confused, thinking maybe she didn't know what was really going on.

"Just do it. I can help..." Jak had placed her feet on the ground. Her legs were like jelly. She couldn't support herself. Grabbing onto Jak, she stood her ground facing the three rosrucs.

"You can't help. You're too injured." Jak loaded his peace maker. He knew it wouldn't do much but it would at least clear the way back to the surface.

"I know what I'm doing, just trust me, okay?" Energy had already gathered around her. The air was charged to where the hair on the back of Jak's neck had raised on end. Colle was using her powers.

"What do you think you're doing, girl?" Gurotik edged back an inch. He could feel something wasn't right. He was the one in danger now.

"Something you taught me." Colle stood against Jak only seconds longer. "That eco can be used in many different ways!" Her built up energy was released.

It forced the rosrucs into the wall behind them. That wasn't all it had done. The two weaker soldiers had been killed. It was like there had been spikes on the wall catching them. Holes were left where there was nothing but blood seeping out. The leader was stronger. He resisted most of Colle's attack. It had left him winded though.

Gurotik knew he was luck not to have taken more damage than what he did. He was going to have to leave or wind up like his soldiers. "I don't think you've realized what you've gotten yourself into, girl." He dashed away before anything else happened.

"Coward..." That was Colle's last word before she was unconscious again. She was caught by Jak before she landed on the broken ground. Jak took his opportunity to escape.

Emerging from the underground passageway, Colle stirred. "Jak..." She whispered. The girl didn't even open her eyes.

"It's okay. You're safe now. Just go back to sleep." He was glad to see that she was okay. Now he just wanted to get back to the city. Once there they could finally relax.

* * *

For two days Colle slept. Every once in a while she would say something. She had many dreams. Some peaceful others not so much. Jak listened to each of them. From what he gathered, it was over what could happen or what had happened. Even what had happened before Colle and Zack had even come to this world. 

When Colle would talk about this Jeremy guy, Jak would get angry. All of Colle's dreams involving him were painful. She had even cried. Jak couldn't bare to see her that way. He found talking to her and letting her know he was there, helped to comfort her.

"Jak..." A soft whisper was heard on the dead of night. The moon entered the room through the open curtains. Green eyes opened for the first time in almost three days.

Jak had been about to dose off when he heard the voice. First he thought he had been hearing things but then knew he couldn't have. Colle was moving around under the sheets of her bed. He moved from his place at the table and was at the girl's side in seconds.

"Colle, are you awake?" Hoping the girl wasn't dreaming again.

"What's it look like?" She sat up and was over come by a wave of dizziness. She immediately closed her eyes clamping her hand to her head. "Whoa..."

"You okay?" Jak asked hurriedly with worry.

"Yeah...My head was just a little funny." Looks at Jak. She noticed how tired he looked. Like maybe he hadn't slept too well in the last couple of days. "Where am I?" She couldn't remember too much. Only that she was supposed to be reclaiming the Precursor Crystal.

"We're at the palace in Spargus. You've been out for nearly three days."

It all fit into place. Colle's powers had been fully awakened after she had been captured. Gurotik had revealed his plans to her thinking he would kill her later. Colle had spent her energy completely. She had slept for so long, though it hadn't left her feeling too well rested. While she had slept, Jak watched over her. That's why he looked so tired himself...

"Thanks." Colle hugged the elf strongly.

"For what?" Jak hugged back just as forceful. He had been so worried about her.

"For caring."

The two sat in each others arms minutes longer when Jak pulled away.

"Not to break the happy moment, but from what Zack told me about the ear thing...You might want to look in the mirror." He smiled.

Not wanting to have another surprise like when she first saw her ears, Colle quickly ran to the mirror. Her eyes widened. Two dark blue lines covered her face and each ear. "What happened?"

"I found you that way. At the rosrucerp base." Jak stood next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder seemed to reassure her that this was nothing to worry about.

" I kind of like it. The leader, Gurotik, said he was forcing the power of the Crystal through me...That reminds me..." Colle left the topic of her new appearance behind. In fact, she didn't have much of a problem with how she looked. "Did you get the Precursor Crystal?"

Jak didn't answer. He looked away sheepishly.

"You didn't get it?" She asked in disbelief. "You have no idea what they plan on doing. If they have that crystal then all they need is me to open the eco silos all over the world."

"Eco silos? That sounds familiar..." Jak thought on his past missions.

"It should." Colle was disappointed. She was thankful Jak had saved her but normally he wouldn't have been so forgetful.

"Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"It's okay I suppose. We'll get it back."

Jak's comm. unit went off while they ate breakfast hours later. It was Torn. He had been trying to find them all morning.

"Torn's been looking for us. There's going to be a meeting in a couple of hours that he wants us to attend. We should leave soon." Jak put the comm. unit in his pocket.

"You sure you're okay?"

"How many times do I have to say yes?" She had told him four times already. He worried too much...wait. That sounded way too familiar. It sounded a lot like her.

"I get it, I get it." Jak got his thing ready to go. "What do you think Torn has up his sleeve? He has been acting a little odd lately."

"Maybe he's come up with a way to get the crystal back." She took a side long glance at him.

"I said I was sorry!"

"I know, I know. It's fine, but really we need to get it back." Colle placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked out the door returning to Haven City to meet with Torn.

* * *

"Mora and I have devised a plan to get into the rosrucerp stronghold." Torn stood up so everyone could see him. "We know where they are. Now we need to know their weakness. We need to get the Precursor Crystal." 

"I can help with that." Colle's voice brought all eyes to her. "They were experiments of the Precusors, right? They were created using eco..."

"...So if we want to defeat them...What destroys eco?" Torn thought aloud. No one answered the question.

Ashelin wasn't at the meeting. She had said that she had better things to do than to listen to something half thought out. She was right in one measure. The plans were only half thought out.

"Nothing unless you count blowing it up." Mora looked to Colle. She had heard of how some of the beasts had died. Being blown up from the inside out wasn't a very pleasant way to go, but it was effective.

"When I was captured, their leader was the one I spoke with. He told me they were trying to open all of the eco silos. If that happens then this world will be destroyed...and so will mine."

The room erupted into talk of the world coming to an end. The soldiers looked uneasily to their commander, Torn.

"Quiet down! Surely you can't be terrified of a group of rats. We only need to work together to solve this." Mora received many cold glares from her fellow soldiers. They didn't like being told off by a new recruit.

"She's right. As I said before, we have a plan to get through this." Torn was able to stop the remaining conversations.

"We will split in tofour groups. The leaders will be Jak, myself, Mora, and Ashelin." Objections were heard immediately. "Enough! You will follow my orders or leave." No one moved so he continued. "Okay, I've already split everyone into there groups. FTH-4 through FTH-8 will be under Jak' command. FTH-9 though TRH-3 will be with Mora, TRH-4through SRH-8goes withAshelin. Everyone else will be with me. You will receive your orders from your commanders before the start of the mission."

"Before this meeting is over, I need to ask for a volunteer. Take note that if you volunteer you will be in danger. I need someone who is strong enough and competent enough to not get killed for they will be going into the heart of the enemies base. They will bring the Crystal to us." Torn waited for something, anything.

"I-." Colle spoke before Jak interrupted her. No one had heard her. She looked to Jak thinking he was going to say it was too dangerous. He didn't.

"You can't do it." He whispered. "I'm going to need your help on this one."

"I'll do it." Mora stood up next to Torn. "Since there isn't anyone else here brave enough to do it."

"No."

"What? What do you mean 'no'?" Mora was surprised.

"That's exactly what I meant. You're not going."

"Why? Just because-?"

"We can talk about this later!" This was angrier than anyone had seen him get in a long while. "This meeting's over. If you want to volunteer, you know where to find me." Torn walked out of the room in a fury.

Jak and Colle looked at Mora. Her face was redder than the summer sunset. Something was going on between her and Torn. Something Torn wanted to be kept secret, at least for the moment. Mora left too without a word to anyone.

"That was just weird." Jak and Colle along with other soldiers just stared at one another.

* * *

**Sushi:** How's that ending for you? Looks like Mora and Torn are hiding something...wonder what it is... Don't forget to review please and see you in the next chapter (the _final_ final one). 

**Summary for Chapter 18: **The battle has begun. Mora is captured and retrieves the Precursor Crystal. Jak and Colle face off against Gurotik.He won'tgo down easy...The Rosrucerps and Metal Heads team up for the ultimate fight.More secrects are reveledas the story finally comes to a close!


	19. Chapter 18: The Battle Front part 1

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaime**r: Jak and all related characters belong to Naughty Dog. Colle and all related characters belong to me.

**Sushi**: I'm sorry for the late chapter. It was a bit late notice to me too. A lot of things were happening at the last minute the last few days so I haven't had time to work on my story. I know this is supposed to be the LAST chapter...technically it is. The thing is, that it'sa long one. So I made it a two parter. Part two may have the epilogue. I haven't decided yet, but since the next section is out too all you have to do is continue reading to find out!

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Battle Front part 1**

"So, how do you like it?" Colle walked into the streets of the newly rebuilt Bazaar. Jak had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes. Colle turned around in front of the warrior. She had gotten her hair cut.

"It's all gone." Jak stared at the girl. She looked completely different. Her hair didn't even reach her shoulders. That, along with the recent addition of the markings on her face, make her look younger but more like a soldier. "I like it."

"Good, because I wouldn't be able to do anything about it even if you didn't." She smiled up at him. Things had deffinaltly changed.

Jak followed the girl as she started off again. He came in step beside her. "You know what you need now?"

"What?" She looked at him curiously.

"Armor."

* * *

Mora walked toward the automatic doors of the Freedom League Headquarters. It was possible Torn had returned after cooling off from the meeting. He would listen to her one way or another. When Mora exited the main elevator, she heard familiar vioces coming from the weapons and armor storage room. 

"I can't do this..." Colle came walking out of the room. She almost ran into the red headed soldier. "Sorry."

"Colle, wait." Jak wasn't far behind. He held the new Freedom League armor. "What's wrong?"

"I can't fight in this battle! I'm not stronge enough. I'll only get in the way." Colle sounded very destressed. She lowered her voice. "I'll only let you down."

"What are you talking about?" Mora looked Colle in the eyes. "You're a great fighter. Even Torn thinks so."

"Do you not remember when you fought the metal heads or the rosrucerps? You fought better then many soldiers I've ever seen." Jak tried convincing her of her power and strength. He envyed her for it.

"I had to be saved every time."

"So did I. And it was you who did."

"Also, if I fight and something happenes...what about Zack? What will happen to him?" Colle shook her head causing her short brown hair to fall across her face.

"That's why you should go." Mora placed a hand on Colle's shoulder. Jak caught on to what she was saying.

"You should fight for you brother. You might be the only one who can defeat Gurotik. He's not going to be easy. I'm going to need your help." Jak ruffled her hair. "Besides, I'm not letting you put that training to waste."

"Okay." The girl smiled at Jak and then Mora. Happy to have them both with her. "Thanks."

"Now let's get you some armor." Jak held out what he had been holding. The new Freedom League armor was sleek and a deep starry blue. The FL insignia was visible over the pad of the right shoulder.

"I'm looking for Torn, but if you need any help, I'll-" Mora was cut off as a young boy walked out of the elevator."

"I can help." Zack had decided that if his sister was going to fight, then he would help her any way he could.

"Uh, hey Zack."

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just came to see if you needed any help." He smiled.

Colle thought of what he could be up to. She figured out something she couldn't believe. She had been neglecting Zack. Her little brother. She felt so horrible. And yet here he was just wanting to help.

"All right then." Colle hugged her little brother. "Let's get ready."

Mora left once everything was settled between the three. She found Torn in his map room going over the plans for the future battle. After ten minutes of 'persuation', Torn gave in. He knew she would be safe. And if she wasn't, he could never forgive himself.

"If you don't report back, then I'm coming after you." Torn said with his usualy gruffness. But the effect wasn't as stronge with the flicker of concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine." Mora kissed Torn on the cheek before leaving to give out orders to her soldiers. She left Torn staring after her.

The day of the battle opened to a beautiful sun rise. The wind rose in speed as the noon hours drew nearer. The Freedom League soldiers were going through last minute mission notices. All of the preperations had been made.

Mora had gone out early that morining on her normal route. She contacted Torn every thirty minutes. There wasn't anything unusual. After finishing her rounds, Torn asked her to go to the old catacombs.

Mora walked around and spotted nothing. There were only mounds of rubble everywhere. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

"There's nothing out h-" Mora's last message was cut off.

"Mora, what was that?" Torn spoke over his comm. unit. He could hear her voice breaking in and out then it stopped all together.

"Mora, report." There was no answer. "Mora, report!" A pit had formed at the bottom of Torn's stomach. What had happened to her? Jak, Colle, and Ashelin were with him along with three other Freedom League officers. They all looked at eachother. "Mora..."

Jak walked over to the commander. He guessed what was going on and knew how Torn felt at the moment. "We need to get started."

"All right." He whispered. Torn turned to face his officers. His voice became stronger. "Everyone get your ranks ready. We leave when Mora reports back." 'But what if she doesn't?' Torn left the group and headed for his bedroom. He had to get ready too...

"Torn-ca-Tor-" Torn's comm. unit came on almost an hour later. Torn had just finished putting his armor on and loading his guns. When he heard the voice, he ran to grab the comm.

"Mora!" He couldn't understand her reply. He searched the different frequences. "Mora!"

"Torn. Finally." She sounded almost as relieved as he felt. "Sorry about earlier, they sort of snuck up on me. I would have contacted you earlier, but the stupid rats wouldn't leave me alone. You know, they're stronger than they look..."

"Mora!" He practicly yelled into the comm. unit. He had been saying her name repeatedly trying to get her attention.

"What!" She yelled back.

"Are you okay?" He had been so worried about her.

"I'm fine. I told you I'll be okay." Now she was glad that he cared. "I do have news though..." Her tone of voice changed.

"I have obtaind the Crystal. It's amazing Torn. The power radiating from it is so soothing."

"Good work. Now get here as soon as possible. Once you're back, we'll begin the assult."

"There's more, Torn."

"What?"

"The rosrucs and metal heads are working together. Apparently the rats are responsible for the metal heads increased strength. they've been experimenting on them with different types of eco."

Torn didn't like this any more than he had when it had first began. "Get out of there, Mora. Once you're safe head back and take command of your troops."

"I'm way a head of you. I wound up in the wastelands. I called Sig. he's on his way. He told me something very distrebing. There are groups of metal heads and rosrucs heading torward both Haven and Spargus. Get the soldiers ready to move out. It's going to be one bloody battle." She became silent. "Sig's here, gotta go."

"Mora." Torn spoke he name more gently.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He didn't want her to die not knowing or him to die not telling her. It scared hi how much he cared for her.

"I love you too." Mora sounded as if she would cry. She never cried. "And if you die out there, I'll kill you."

Torn smiled his rare smile. "You be careful too." When nothing else was said, Torn left to give the order to move out.

* * *

**Sushi**: Torn's so cute, isn't he? 

**Jak**: I thought I was the cute one!

**Sushi**: You are, but this wasn't your chapter. The next part is the ending of the last chapter for Two Sides to Everything! Don't forget to review me on the question I ask you at the end!


	20. Chapter 18: The Battle Front part 2

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaime**r: I don't own Jak or any of the related characters or places. I own Colle, Zack, and Gurotik.

**Sushi:** Here is the final part of Chapter 18! This is the last chapter. Only the epilogue is left! Remember to write to me in your reviews weither or not there should be a sequal...although I already have an idea for one, not that it matters, but I also have an idea for another story...

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Battle Front part 2**

The pounding of feet and the scraping of claws were heard racing down the tunnel. The enemy was getting closer. Jak and Colle had led a group of twelve soldiers into the depths of the rosrucs base. They were to take out any and all creatures that got in their way. That included the rosrucerp leader, Gurotik.

"Sir, you go on a head. We'll take care of these beast." One of the stronger soldiers approached the elf.

"You won't stand a chance against them." Colle argued.

"We will do everything to allow you two to defeat this Gurotik. It is our duty." The twelve soldiers spread along the wide hallway. There guns were ready as soon as the first metal head turned the corner.

"Come on!" Jak pulled Colle through a side doorway that led to a smaller passageway. The two of them went on for only seconds before Colle stopped. "What is it?"

"He's near. I can feel it." Colle opened another door. An immense power almost blew her from her feet but she was caught by Jak. "Gurotik."

"How good of you to come." A figure stepped from the shadows. Gurotik was gigantic. Just his arm alone was as long as Jak. He had truly increase his strength. "Too bad you came to your death!" He charged the two fighters once they stepped through the thresh hold of his chambers.

The two of them jumped to the side just barely avoiding his attack. He had gotten stronger and faster. But how? It hadn't been that long since they had encountered him last. Jak dodged another attack that would have cost him his leg. It seemed as if Gurotik was only going to attack the young warrior. He still needed Colle alive.

Colle changed her gun into the blaster. She would need to get closer even for the long range weapon to have much of an effect. The rosruc leader pinned Jak to the wall. He was struggling to get free. With his free hand Gurotik readied a killing blow to the elf. Unfortunately for him, Colle wasn't going to just sit back and watch. She fired her blaster at his neck thinking his armor would be weakest there. She was only half right. She had saved Jak but drawn attention to herself. Gurotik swung around hitting the girl to the ground. Light flashed before her eyes.

"You have it don't you?" Gurotik advanced on the fallen girl. "You have my Crystal!"

"So that's how you got so strong." Colle struggled to get up as Jak ran to her aid. "You used the crystal." She had received the crystal from Mora shortly after arriving in the wastelands. Colle knew there had to be a way to defeat him, but with how things had started it didn't look too promising. Power like his came at a price, however. It meant he was to sure of himself to think he could be beaten.

The giant transformed rosrucerp rushed in for another attack. The already winded Colle tried blocking while Jak tried an attack of his own. Neither were successful. Gurotik slammed Colle into the ground at full force as Jak was hit sideways into the wall. They were losing and the battle had just begun.

Colle wasn't able to breath with the two hundred pounds of dead weight on top of her. She tried to move but froze in pain. It felt as if her arm had been broken.

Jak cleared his head from the impact with the wall. His vision of Colle fading in and out. He had to help her. Shakily he loaded his peace maker. When Gurotik began clawing at the girl he gave up his attempts. Running to help, Jak jumped on the creatures back. He pulled out his hidden knife and jabbed it in it's side.

Gurotik growled as he turned around trying to get at Jak. Colle wasn't able to get away in time from his swiping claws. One of them caught her arm. Three large gashes stretched from her shoulder to her elbow. There was no doubt that her and Jak wouldn't be getting out of this battle unscathed.

Jak hung onto Gurotik's back as tightly as he could.

"Jak move!" Colle yelled at him. She was going to attack.

Feeling the strange aura from her, Jak jumped from the creature's back and moved as far away as he could. Running toward the doorway and into the next room, Jak saw colle doing the same but for one big difference. She was attacking Gurotik with her powers. Suddenly, the room was filled with the eco controlling substance. Colle was running for the door.

"We have to get out of here. That's not going to hold him forever." She grabbed Jak's arm when he wasn't moving.

"What did you do?"

"I used my powers. They caused his eco to go wild. He's in a lot of pain right now." Colle stopped when they came to a large chamber with no other way out.

"You can control your powers? Since when?" Jak was breathing heavily.

"since the last time we were here...Gurotik forced the crystal's energy into me." Her head was swimming. She had used too much energy in a short amount of time. "I guess it gave me the push I needed."

"Then why have you been holding it back?"

"Well...for one, I think I just used most of it. And another thing...There's eco here."

Jak was stunned. Eco. This could help him get the extra strength he desperately needed. If only he could find it. Jak looked around as much as he could without alerting the rosruc leader of their location.

"It's over here." Colle had moved a pile of rocks from the old wall. Red flames spewed into the air. "it's red eco."

Jak knew what to do. unfortunately, upon placing his hand through the flame, the inner was had begun. Pain shot up through Jak's arm and into the rest of his body. His darker self was over coming the light one more time. This time though, it was worse than the others. red light blinded Jak as he tried to escape the pain. He tore at himself wanting to get the darkness out of him. Never had he wanted anything to end so horribly.

Colle didn't know what to do to help him. With all of the screams and yelling, Gurotik would soon find them. It was only a matter of time now. When that time came, neither of them would be in the condition needed to fight.

A bright blue glow came from inside Colle's pocket. She pulled out the Precursor Crystal. it was reacting to the eco. Holding it near Jak the light intensified, but nothing else happened. With Jak thrashing about, Colle timidly grabbed his wrist. Dark Jak sank his teeth into her hand. colle yelped but didn't release him.

White blue energy surrounded the girl as she allowed her own energy to flow into Jak. The longer they were connected the stronger the power became. The stronger the power became the less Jak fought with himself. The darkness was beginning to calm.

As soon as her job was done, Colle noticed the two of them were no longer alone. Before either of the could react Gurotik struck out. He slammed Colle against the wall with a sickening thud. Jak's heart almost stopped when he heard it. It didn't sound healthy. He tried to reach her but was forced to run when he became the new target.

"This world is dead." The rosrucerp swiped landing a few more hits before Jak was forced to retreat. He was going to win this one. "Once the silos have been opened, there will be nothing left but a ball of mud in the sky. And you will be my final triumph. The hero who couldn't do anything as the world turned to dust!" This was his final strike. This would finish it all.

"I don't think so." Colle's deadly calm voice came out of no where.

Jak looked over the rosruc's shoulder and was relieved to see her still alive. He on the other hand might not fare too well for much longer. Blood seeped from a cut on his head into his eye. Another gash was flowing freely on his left leg. His head was feeling light from the massive blood lose.

Before Gurotik could react, Colle was behind him. He was frozen in mid-strike, unable to do anything.

"Can't move, can you?" She had placed both of her hands on his back. Colle's ability to control eco kept the rosrucerp under her control. She looked at the injured warrior on the other side of the room. "Do it, Jak! Transform now and end this!"

What she had said sank into his mind slowly. "You can't be serious!"

"Now, Jak!" She wouldn't be able to hold the giant much longer. Already her powers were weakening. Gurotik sensed this and knew he would have his opportunity. He would kill this girl. She was too much of a threat to keep around. "Jak!"

Before another word, Jak concentrated on the darkness. His form changed and with onyx eyes full of hate and anger, Dark Jak went in for the kill.

The red eco they had found earlier turned out to be a blessing. Jak charged his single strike and found he could unleash more of his dark energy. Preying to the Precursors that Colle would survive, the soulless beast released his eco.

The blast hit with a deafening noise. Dust flew everywhere as the air was forced from the chamber. Orange explosions appeared where the blast had been targeted.

Jak had used almost all of his energy and de-transformed almost instantly. He fell to his knees and waited for the light to fade. There was no sign of Colle. He couldn't hear anything from either of them. Jak was full of fear.

The light was gone and the dust gently floated in the still air as Jak ran to see the damage he had done. He went through rocks straining to move them as his strength left him. He cleared the rubble until he found the two fighters.

Gurotik was barely recognizable. Burns covered his entire body along with many cuts. Chunks of skin looked as if they had been ripped from the transformed rosruc. jak could only hope Colle had come out better. Then right before Jak's eyes, the giant body of Gurotik began to dissolve. There was nothing he could do as he watched his new enemy disappear in seconds. This left Colle exposed to his vision. he was horrified at what he saw.

Colle's hands were burned from where she had held Gurotik in his place. They were bleeding. The side of her face would be slightly scared once it had the chance to heal. She might not be able to see out of her left eye.

Jak knelt down and felt for a pulse. He wasn't going to go through this again. His heart eased when he found the beating strong. she would live. Jak lifted her into his arms and made his way toward the tunnels.

* * *

"That's the last one!" Torn yelled as he and Mora shot the same metal head. Around them lay the battle field. The bodies of friend and foe littered the ground. Out of the five hundred soldiers, only a handful remained.

"Are you all right?" Mora limped over to Torn. She sat on the bloodstained earth catching here breath. Torn and two other soldiers joined her.

"I'll live. You?" Torn was eyeing a nasty cut she had received on her cheek. The blood had dried over closing the wound.

"I've been better."

The two sat in silence glad the fighting was over. Now their fates were in the hands of Jak and Colle.

"I wonder if they're still alive." Mora was the one to speak their thoughts aloud. She watched as torn got to his feet.

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Torn was smirking and pointed to just beyond the first sand dune. Jak was carrying Colle in his arms. it seemed as if they were arguing about something. The two were smiling however. behind them were seven of the twelve soldiers that had journeyed with them.

* * *

**Sushi:** How was that for an ending? Everyone's back together again! Next is the epilogue but I don't think it'll be out until wednesday or thursday of this week. I have go look for a summer job...whoopee...not. Don't forget to review and I look forward to seeing you in the last installment of 'Two Sides to Everything'!


	21. Chapter 19: Epilogue

**Two Sides to Everything**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Jak or any of the related characters. I only own my original chararcters Colle and Zack.

**Sushi**: This if the last chapter! I would like to thank all of my reviewers. I couldn't have done it without your support, really. I hope you enjoy the final chapter of Two Sides to Everything! It's been fun. The sequal will be titled There was Light and Darkness...it sounds a little strange if you ask me. If you have any ideas feel free to let me know! I have two for the sequal and I'm not sure which one to use...Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 19: Epilouge**

Colle looked at herself in the mirror. The blue markings were still visible even through the burn. It had been three days since Gurotik had been killed and his army destroyed. She still was unable to see out of her left eye. The fight had left many of them with injuries. Some that would remain forever.

"You ready to go?" Jak walked into her room. He had been slightly depresed since they had gotten back. He knew he was the one that cause Colle's injuries. She never once blamed him though. He had done what she had told him to do, and in doing so, they were safe.

"Yeah, let's go get Zack." She walked passed Jak taking his hand as she went. She knew he was being hard on himself. He had told her he would protect her and he had almost failed. Colle had told him it was all right. But even when he finally agreed with her, she could tell he was only doing it to make her happy.

The two walked out of the appartment and toward the palace of Spargus. Their group was being summonded to the Precursor Monk Temple. Seem had asked them to bring the Crystal. There was something she wanted to show them.

Once everyone had been situated, the group of six (and two ottsels)left for the temple. They took two buggies. Jak drove one and Torn drove the other. The wind was calm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Ah, welcome, brave warriors." Seem greeted them upon their arrival. "We have been waiting most expectantly."

"We?" Daxter jumped from Jak's shoulder and landed in front of the monk leader just as she was about to turn and leave. "Who else is here?"

"Do you really have to ask that, Dax?" Jak said taking the lead after Seem. They followed the monk though the temple until reaching the main chamber. Waiting for them was none other than the Precursor Leader himself.

"Welcome, welcome. I see you are still alive." The Leader spoke in his elderly slight grandpa-ish voice. "I'm sorry for what has happened, but your sacrifices have insured the safety of this world and others again."

"But for how long?" Everyone was surprised when Colle spoke up. Everyone that is except Jak. He knew what she meant. There had been so many wars, so many people lost. How long would this have to continue?

"I'm afraid there will always be fighting. It is our nature. As long as there is light there is darkness, but as long as there is darkness there is light. There is always hope. Hope to see peace." The Leader's face grew soft as he looked at the young girl before him who had suffered so much.

"When you visited your world, my brother was the one to watch over you. He allowed you the chance to return here and you accepted. Now, I am giving you the chance to return home. You and your brother would never have to risk your lives again. You could live in happiness." He knew that things had changed in Colle's world and his brother would see to it that they were safe.

This was the first any of them had heard of this. Jak looked at Colle wondering what she was thinking and if she would really leave him. He knew what had happened in her world and didn't want to see her like that again, but his world was dangerous too. Twice she had almost died. Twice he had been the cause of her pain. and now she would never be able to see out of her left eye because of him. He would rather her be safe in her world, than in danger in his. He knew he would understand if she chose to leave.

"This is my home. Zack and I want to stay here," Zack gave her a big hug, "with the people we care about most." She glanced at Jak and squeezed his had gently. He returned her show of affection. He was happy. She was staying.

"Then I would like for you to do a favor for me." The Precursor Leader held out his staff. "Your powers will continue to grow. With them, I want you to protect the Crystal. You are its chossen gardian."

Colle nodded her head not knowing what to say.

"Very good, then." The ottsel Leader pointed his staff at the girl. A white light shot from its tip and struck her. "Then you will need both eyes to see with."

The light faded in an instant. Colle had closed her good eye to keep from getting blinded. When she opened it she found she could see through both eyes. She hurridly placed her hand to her face to see if she was mistaken, but to her amasment, she found the burns were also gone.

"I must be going. There are some people who are never patcient. I'll keep in touch. if you ever need anything, don't hesitat to call me...but not on Thursdays...I golf on Thursdays." Before anyone could say good bye, the Leader was gone in a blinding flash.

"He's a little strange, don't you think?" Mora asked.

"More like crazy." Daxter never did like the Precursors too much. They always seemed to know more of what was going on and they weren't even here half the time. Daxter stopped when he realized something. He was a Precursor too. _'Well, I guess the are some exceptions.'_

Everyone left returning to the buggies. They were going home. Jak was sure it wouldn't be long until a new danger made itself known. When that happened all of this would start over. Jak looked over at Colle to see her looking back at him with a bright smile on her face.

For now though, the world was at peace. They would enjoy every minute of it, together. And when they were needed again, they would fight so the people could live. That would bring true peace and happiness.

* * *

**Sushi**: It's finally over! I think i'm gonna cry...not really. I'm glad it's over though. It's always nice when things come to an end, espcailly when you remember the hard journey getting there.

**Jak**: Are you going to keep talking non-sense or tell them what you wanted to tell them in the first place?

**Sushi**:I guess you're right...Okay! For the sequal...if any of you have any ideas, please feel free to send them to me in an e-mail or your review! I might be able to use some of them in my story, pf course I will give credit where credit is due. Like I said before, I have some ideas, but I thought it would be fun to let you guys try the story thing with Coll and the others.

**Jak**: Now that that's over with: Don't forget to send your review, it'll help her get through the sequal...


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